Fates Web
by ShotoGun
Summary: Hinata Hyuuga dies during the Kumo incident and the world is never the same. Little does everyone know the Hyuuga heiress is very much alive. Things are about to get very... spidery. Reincarnation Fic.
1. Chapter One: A Fate Unsealed

Fates Web

Chapter One: A Fate Unsealed

Author Notes: Hello Everyone and welcome to my new story. Please dig in and enjoy!

III = Interlude/ character perspective switch.

 **Bold text** = Inner voice/ something important speaking.

There will be no crossovers, or characters from other shows.

* * *

 **A Fate Unsealed**

Dust fell to the floor. Inside an old room lay a sarcophagus surrounded by an arcane seal of unknown origin. Thumping sounds echoed as stones cracked and the room groaned. Bugs climbed over the ancient stone floor. Ancient stone walls groaned and the southward section of the room blew open.

Minato Namikaze knocked down the crumbling wall in front of him. Dust kicked up and he went through a coughing fit. He waved his hand to clear the air and held a Rasengan up to illuminate the room.

The soft blue light revealed a sarcophagus surrounded by a huge runic circle in the center of the room; with countless markings carved into the walls. Minato's lips curled upwards, "I've found it!"

The men behind Minato cheered. The Shinobi contingent along with Kushina walked through the impromptu hole in the wall. Minato apprised the Sealing circle with shaking hands, "Finally..."

Most of the inhabitants still alive stayed away as the ruins were rumored to be cursed. The third Shinobi war was winding down with Konoha on the losinig side. Minato in desperation was digging for anything to get the upper edge against Iwa. After weeks of useless dead ends he stumbled upon some of his wifes clan scrolls. He had learned about a legendary power that was rumored to exist deep within the southern land of fire territory.

A shinobi coughed to get Minato's attention. Minato looked at a sandy haired Jonin. "Yes, Yamiura?"

Yamiura looked at Minato with trepidation, "Are you sure these ruins aren't cursed? Is it wise to disturb this place?" Yamiura gestured to the carving on the walls.

Kushina laughed. _'I can't believe how many Shinobi still believe in folktales'_

Minato kneeled down and studied the hieroglyphs covering the stone sarcophagus, "We are at war Yamiura. Reports say in a month's time Iwa will launch an invasion at Kannabi bridge. We must use every advantage we can."

Yamiura nodded weakly, "Yes sir."

Minato traced the Hieroglyphs and read them like a story. The Chunin of the twenty man party searched the room looking for anything valuable, although they avoided the sarcophagus at the center of the room.

The seals comprising the seal matrix were the most complicated Minato had ever witnessed. He could barely understand some of them. He brushed his fingers against one of the seals and channeled chakra.

The room rocked and shook violently at that moment. The seal glowed brightly and everything faded away into a white abyss.

* * *

Naruto walked into class. Discussion stopped as he took his seat next to Sasuke. The brooding Uchiha ignored him and continued gazing out the window. He tilted his head and stared at an empty seat on the other side of the room. _Her_ Seat.

It was **his** fault.

 _"Stop you meanie!"_

 _"Haha, you think you can take on a jounin of Kumo boy?"_

 _"No Stop!"_

"Naruto! Pay attention!" Screamed a voice, drawing Naruto's attention away from his internal monologue to the front of the room he had found himself in, his eyes meeting the brown coloured eyes of his instructor.

Naruto brushed away the distant memory and adopted a smile with practiced ease, "Sure thing Iruka-Sensei"

Iruka frowned, "What was I just talking about?"

" … You talked about how the Yondaime Hokage sacrificed himself to kill the Kyuubi on October 10th." Responded Naruto in an even manner, his eyes never having shown any emotion he was feeling within himself to his teacher, whom of which had given Naruto a stern stare for a brief moment, before his features relaxed and he chuckled.

"Correct, but please do pay more attention during class." Replied the teacher, getting a nod from the blonde haired, blue eyed child, who sat straight and attentive in his seat.

"One of these day's you're going to slip up Naruto." Mumbled a voice to his left.

Tilting his head slightly, the blonde haired child gave his fellow student a small smirk.

"You're one to talk Dai", Naruto chuckled, getting a small smirk from the boy as he waved his hand slightly.

"Well, all this history is boring; Why can't he cover foreign villages? I already knew this by the time I was walking" The boys face smacked into his desk as he groaned out.

Sweat dropping, Naruto patted his best friend on the back. The boy simply sighed, covering his ears in a desperate attempt to muffle the boring academy teachers lecture.

Naruto deadpanned, "*Sigh* Comon Dai. If you keep this up we will get yelled at again." He said looking down at his friend.

Dai groaned letting his dreadlocked white hair fall around his head in a mess. Dai had dark brown skin with black eyes that held a fierce nature in them. Standing at an impressive 5 foot two at ten years old the boy was already on his way to becoming a giant. Wearing Beige leather pants and brown combat boots he finished his look off with a dark green fingerless combat gloves and a simple brown cloak covering his back and shoulders that left his chest bare.

"I can't wait to graduate", Dai groaned.

"You and me both." He muttered.

III

Somewhere far away pale Lavender Eyes slowly opened.


	2. Chapter Two: I'm a what!

Fates Web

Chapter Two: I'm a what?!

Author Notes: Hello Everyone and welcome to my new story. Please dig in and enjoy!

Hinata and Naruto are both going to get equal screen time in this fic. I want to tell two stories that eventually connect. The romance will be a slow burn.

This chapter and the next will be setting up the story to come, so they will have some time skips. I hope you all liked Dai. I don't like OCs too much but I thought it would be cliche if I replaced Hinata with Sai. It always seemed weird in canon how there's no dark skinned people living in Konoha until the Boruto era. I mean Lightning country is a big place so logically someone, even a merchant would have come to Konoha eventually right?

III = Interlude/ character perspective switch.

 **Bold text** = Inner voice/ something important speaking.

There will be no crossovers, or characters from other shows.

* * *

When her eyes opened up, the first thing she thought of, felt, and experienced, was ... confusion. How had she been able to open her eyes again? A sharp spike of pain lanced through her mind. Blurry images spun through her sight.

She remembered waking in the middle of the night and gasping as a shadowed hand covered her mouth.

 _A yellow haired child screamed "Get away from her!"_

Soon the child laid battered and near death. She had struggled against the laughing Kumo ambassador when that red bubbling chakra erupted from Naruto's battered body. Laugh's soon turned to screams and the last thing she saw was a vengeful dark skinned man slicing her throat from ear to ear.

She always wondered what death was like. When She had asked her Tou-san he had told her it was like going to sleep for a long time. That felt right. Her eyes had slowly grown heavy and soon she had closed them for a _long_ nap.

She blinked her four eyes as tears dripped down her face. Wait, _four?_

She could see again, albeit very blurrily. She tried to move but she felt weird and nothing responded.

At the same time she felt a heaviness that was very different from the last she experienced. This heaviness was ... warm and soothing. Like being wrapped in a warm blanket made of the finest silks her Tou-san could buy.

Soon her eyes became heavy again and the world went dark.

She didn't know how much time had passed. It could have been days, months, years. She stirred as a tingling feeling blossomed all over. She began to gain feeling in her body, except it was all wrong. She felt all weird and wrong - Like she had been given new arms or legs and the ones that felt so familiar were gone.

She felt hungry, very hungry.

III

 _'So hungry'_ She thought.

The hunger demanded to be sated. She groaned hearing a grumble from...behind her?"

 _'Need food'_ She tried to move the things that tingled, and felt a twitch. The invisible velvet like warmth that surrounded her tore as she began thrashing around. Suddenly she could hear voices, except they sounded distorted; like they were underwater.

"The baby's-"

"Get the Sage"

She screamed, or attempted to, "Ergghhhhhhh" A shrill shriek erupted.

The voices became worried as she worked with single minded resolve to escape this place.

"It's happening, dear Sage!"

The warmth finally gave way and light fell through making her squint her eyes. Cautiously she peeled the opening so she could clumsily tumble through the opening. Warm sunlight blinded her. She tried to cover her eyes with her...hands?

Her blurry eyesight slowly became clear and she gasped at the dark and pointy limbs. They were long, then, and blackened with no hair that ended in a razor-sharp tip; they were completely covered in some kind of armor. She began crying as her new reality set in. She just wanted her Tou-San.

She rolled on her side whimpering and fell onto the white blanket beneath her, wait, what? She opened her eyes and took in the silky smooth egg-like thing she had climbed from. She turned her head looking around.

She froze and fainted.

A giant black widow peered down at her with confusion.

III

Her eyes opened again and she gulped.

That was right. Her mind must have been playing tricks on her. She would wake up any minute and this nightmare would be over. There wouldn't be hundreds of oversized spiders hanging from white glazed trees, and she would have a fun laugh with her friend Naruto about her overactive imagination.

 _"Please be a dream. Please be a dream. Pleeease..."_

She began shaking and her eyes widened to dinner plates when the same human sized black widow as before appeared. She tried to sit up, and surprisingly her body responded.

Eight chitinous limbs responded and she held her two front ones out like duel swords.

The black widow blinked before laughing and cooing at her tiny form. The spider held out a limb and dropped an apple. Hinata jumped as the apple landed in front of her with a loud _thump_. She peered at the oversized fruit with shock. Why was it so big?

 _'Wait, is that apple big or am I small?'_ She thought

Indeed as she looked around her new home she realized the trees were impossibly huge and the skittering spiders going about their business ranged in size from a human adult to a small house. All kinds of spiders from Portia's to Tarantula's went about, seemingly with some task in mind.

Smelling the delicious offering in front of her she felt her tummy rumble. Instincts took over and the new born jumped at the apple like a flying squirrel. The black widow above laughed in a silky feminine voice.

"Dear Rikudo Child, you have a voracious appetite."

Four bright reds peered down upon Hinata, "And such potent chakra for one so young."

Hinata finished gobbling the apple down and burped. She used one of her new limbs to rub her belly. Feeling slightly more confident at the now apparently friendly spider Hinata drunk in the giant arachnids features.

The Black widow was somewhat larger than a full-grown horse, sitting around Nine feet in width. The spider was covered in black chitin that protected it's body with the exception of its joints with were colored a purple hue. A bright red hourglass rested on its abdomen and each of its black legs ended in razor-sharp red dyed tips.

The spider lowered itself to the webbed ground and gave a kind smile, "Hello Daughter"

Hinata hiccupped, "Daughter?"

The Widow nodded, "You were born from my cocoon hatchling." It pointed a bladed leg at the broken cocoon next to her. Feeling strangely fuzzy Hinata hesitantly followed her instincts offered no resistance to the approaching Widow. The spider wrapped two of its front segmented legs around her, "I love you my sweet hatchling."

Hinata felt a bubbly feeling inside her tummy, "I love you too Mommy"

Hinata snuggled into the embrace and looked up, "Mommy?"

The spider gazed down at her affectionately, "Yes dear?" She asked with a warm smile.

She twiddled her two front appendages, "Did you already name me or can I pick my own?"

The spider blinked, "You can pick your own, but are you really sure that's what you want?"

She beamed, "I want to be named Hinata."

"A lovely name" She cooed.

Hinata chitinous cheeks turned red, "What is your name mother?"

The spider patted her on the head, "My name is the Spider Sage and the Queen of all spiders, Elise."

"I'm royalty?" She asked.

The now revealed spider queen hmed in response. Hinata giggled, _'I know I should be freaking out, but maybe being a spider won't be so bad. I always wanted a mommy.'_

The new mother held her gently and began singing. Hinata's eyes grew heavy and soon she was asleep once more.

III

 **Months Later**

Standing on wobbling legs she waddled like a drunk across the ground. Her mother watched over her protectively from a giant silk web in the gigantic trees above. She had only heard of such mighty trees existing in the forest of death and the far north. The climate wasn't right for the forest of death, so that left the far north beyond Iwagakure.

As a clan heiress Hinata had been drilled in lessons of Shinobi life from the moment she could walk. Her caretaker Ko had regaled her bed time stories of the summoning clans and the mountains and caves they occupied to themselves.

The spider summons were a matriarchy with the black widow leading the clan. It seems she was destined to be royalty in this life as well.

"That's it Hinata-Chan. Remember not to overextend your legs." Came her mother's doting voice.

Hinata grunted, "I can't."

Hinata's four eyes scrunched in anger.

"*Sigh* My sweet daughter you must calm yourself." The spider queen lowered herself in front of Hinata, "Take a deep breath and focus on moving each limb, one segment at a time."

"...Oo-Ok"

With the trepidation of a mouse the Lavender eyed girl tried to move her front two legs. She felt each segment pulse and move to her command. She held the armored spear like legs to her face and imagined hands overlapping them. She flexed and moved them around. She bent her two front limbs and decided then that she would always refer to them as her arms. She twitched and moved the six other limbs and the three legs on each side slowly lifted her up.

"I-I did it." She stuttered.

Elise beamed down at her child, "You are doing great!" The spider gently lowered her head and placed a kiss on her head.

III

 **Two Years later**

Hinata soared through the tall trees home to the far north of the land of earth. Many things had changed in the two years she had been a member of the Spider Summoning clan. Elise had trained her heir into the ground both figuratively and literally. The lavender eyed spider had grown immensely and was now barely five feet in width. The moonlight reflected off black chitin just like her mother, but strangely the hourglass mark on her abdomen was purple instead of the normal bright red.

Her size wasn't the only thing that had changed. She had mastered all of the Shinobi arts from her clan including her mother's prized Sage mode. The look on the spiders Queens face when her daughter successfully learned the clans most prized technique had earned looks of disbelief and pride from the powerful queen.

Which brings us to now.

Hinata appeared before Her mother at their clans most sacred grounds. At the top of Mount Weaver laid a large grove that held a small lake spoken of only in folklore; the fabled Pool of Rebirth. A place hidden from the world and rumored to give those who bathed in its blessed water the gift of rebirth, casting aside the old and from death birthing life anew. The Pool had existed long before the age of ninja and had been guarded by the clan since its founding.

Legend said that their clans founder had been the most wise of men in all the world.

One day the humble and wise man had been approached by the ruler of all the lands, a horned goddess.

The goddess desired the answer to peace, and the man had been happy to teach her. The wise man beseeched her that peace was the most noble pursuit, but he also tried to impress upon her that the woman's methods would only inspire fear, and a peace enforced through fear was no peace at all.

"And what happened next?" Asked the captivated Hyuuga.

The Queen smirked cruelly, "The goddess laughed. Fate is with me, she said. The Wise man stood his ground and claimed that fate was what one makes of it, and the goddess was only subject to a web of fate by her own weaving."

"Incensed, the Goddess cursed the man to become a spider, forever subject to make webs cut from his own cloth - forever subject to the webs of fate. The Wise man chose to eke out an existence as a Sage and guard the sacred Pool of Rebirth."

Hinata breathed out, "That's horrifying."

Elise chuckled ruefully, "I suppose it is." She looked up at the sparkling night sky. Her eyes glimmered as she seemingly saw things that Hinata could only imagine.

"It's time" She said turning to her, "That you learn our clans most secret technique. One only I know and possess."

Hinata looked at her mother in confusion, "But I thought I had already learned everything. I've learned the weaving arts and even your Spider Sage mode."

The spider queen laughed, "Yes...I suppose you continue to impress me. What I plan to teach you tonight is something else altogether."

The Spider Queen reared back and tensed. The ground shook and the serene water of the lake pulsed as the Queen of all spiders began transforming. Elise's body glowed a bright red and rippled like water. Her dark Chitin body shrunk and conformed into something more slender and feminine. Her two front limbs transformed into slender arms with hands that ended in razor tipped clawed fingers. Her chest and abdomen conformed into a supple womanly body with pale white chalk skin that ended in two slender legs with spear tipped ends, similar to her true form. Dark black chitin covered her legs, arms, and the front and sides of her breast; leaving her slender stomach and shoulders bare, as well as the top of her breasts and the sides of her pelvis. Her last four limbs moved to her shoulder blades and above her tail bone.

Finally her head formed into a feminine face with soft features and glowing red eyes. Her pedipalps transformed into a spiked tipped head guard. Two of them covered the sides of her cheeks and head, ending below her jaw; Rising from the sides of her head the spiderlike crown ended in two spikes curving down from the sides of her face. Finally, long crimson hair fell from her head all the way to her shoulder blades.

Hinata watched in awe.

"That's so cool." She squealed, "Can you teach me please, please!" The girl widened her eyes and skittered around like a kid on a sugar high.

Elise deadpanned at the dreaded pleading eyes of her daughter.

"I will teach you..."

"Yes!" Hinata started jumping around in victory.

"But..."

Sensing the tone in her mother's voice Hinata stopped.

"You must go out and learn to live like the humans."

Elise watched with amusement as Hinata shuffled around awkwardly, "Yes?"

Hinata twiddled her arm tips, "Gomen, but I can really do this?"

Elise's face softened , "Sweet child. This is a rite of passage for every clan heir. One day you might form a contract with a human. You will represent our clan and must be familiar with the humans and their customs. My mother and my mother's mother all the way to the founding of our clan has done this." The now humanoid woman kneeled down and took Hinata's face in her hands, "You must go alone, but I will be watching you from afar. You can do this my little spiderling."

Hinata practically glowed as her Mother laid a kiss on her head, "Ok I'll try, mom."

Elise's eyes glistened with moisture, "Good, now here's what you need to do."

III

Hinata laid on her back in the sacred waters of her ancestors. The water glowed a soft silver under the lunar light. Soft mutterings in an ancient tongue drifted from the Spider queen standing at the shore.

"Now you must drink deep from the water of the Moon Goddess and submerge yourself."

Breathing through her nostrils and exhaling, Hinata smiled and slowly let go; drifting beneath the silvery waters.

The Spider Sage waited at the shore calmly as seconds turned into minutes, and minutes into hours. Just as the morning sun began to rise a ripple spread from the lake. A small human form slowly drifted from the lake and stepped onto dry land.

Hinata rose from the water coughing.

Turning towards the moonlit water she gasped, "This is me?"

Her mother appeared by her side, "You are beautiful dear."

Hinata stared at the Indigo haired girl in the crystalline water. She looked like a carbon copy of her mother's human form, except her eyes were more human, having a dark red sclera and pale lilac iris's and pupil. She marveled at the dark indigo purple hair that fell freely down her back, ending below the shoulders.

She held up her human hands and gazed in wonder at the black armored claws that ended in blood red tips. She lowered her hands down to her creamy moon white skin around her belly and gasped as she accidently cut herself. Dark purple blood flowed from the deep gash.

She watched in awe as steam rose from the deep cut and it hissed shut in seconds.

"This is amazing." She looked up to her mother and hugged her, "Thank you, thank you so much!"

Elise ran her hands through her daughters hair and whispered sweet words, "Tomorrow you go on your journey. Let us spend all the time we can tonight dear."

Hinata responded by hugging her tighter, "I love you mom. I swear I will make you proud."

They spent the rest of the night gazing at the stars until Hinata's eyes grew heavy and the sweet embrace of sleep claimed her.

* * *

 **Author Note: (You can Google Elise from league of legends for a description.)**


	3. Chapter Three: The Journey

Fates Web

Chapter Three: The Journey

Author Notes: It's good to get another chapter out so soon. I hope you all enjoy my story so far.

Some chapters will have the POV of both Naruto and Hinata, some will have several chapters of one character. I'm progressing both their stories and eventually they will intersect. Their won't be any immediate romance. They were the closest of childhood friends and that does not automatically translate to romance. There might even be competing pairings.

III = Interlude/ character perspective switch.

 **Bold text** = Inner voice/ something important speaking.

There will be no crossovers, or characters from other shows.

* * *

Hinata stopped at the first human settlement she came across. The villagers gave her a wide berth. A tattered brown cloak covered her body down to the dirt, but you could make out glowing lilac and red eyes underneath the shaded hood.

She looked over the stone and clay buildings. Some of them seemed so primitive compared to the luxury she had known in her human life. Small squalid hovels with wooden ceilings and cragged stone walls laid spread out. Dirty faces with wary eyes watched her as she made her way through the dirt road that ran through the small village.

 _'They look so poor'_ She thought.

A wheezing elderly man with slouched shoulders and sunken eyes hobbled past her. The look in his eyes haunted her. There was no joy or happiness in those eyes, only empty resignation.

 _'Hollow blue eyes stared at her in horror'_

The elder frowned as a blackened hand fell on his shoulder.

"Excuse me."

He looked behind him and took a step back, "W-wh-what?"

"What has befallen this village? Why is everyone so sad?" Hinata asked, trying to sound as non threatening as possible.

The elder adopted a wary glare, "Who's asking?"

A good question. It's best to keep information about herself scarce.

"Just a concerned traveler."

He avoided her stare, "Aye lass, there's been a nasty group of bandits that's been taking the village's harvest. We don't have enough food to feed everyone and no one passes through these lawless lands no more."

Her eyes narrowed and pale purple lips set into a thin line, "Why hasn't the local Shinobi village done anything about it? Shouldn't a group of lawless creeps warrant a response."

The man laughed, "Oh girly, Iwagakure doesn't care about little boondock villages like us." He spit off to the side of the road, "We ain't got the money to pay off those snooty rock thumpers."

A commotion from further head made the Hyuuga turn her head. In the town square at the center of the small village a crowd gathered around wooden gallows. Hinata carefully kept pace behind the village elder and tried to make herself small and unseen in the crowd.

On the gallows two thin and malnourished children stood with nooses around their neck. Five men with leather vests, brown cowhide pants and short swords stood on the stage in front of the tied up children.

One of the men wore a red bandana and seemed the most unstable of the lot. _'I spot three dozen bandits, and two sentries with longbows to the south.'_ Hinata growled as she weighed the pros and cons of helping the villagers. Should she break her cover and help the humans, or should she move on and forget what she saw?

The man with the red bandana banged his sword against a tin can, "Attention, attention ye scum." The crowds fell silent and the man adopted a choppy smile that made Hinata's stomach clench. This wasn't good.

"Now that I have your attention I have a little announcement to make." The bandit leader pointed to the restrained children, "These little mites stole some of me precious spice." The bandit's eyes briefly rolled into his head, "Need me spice."

The bandit started shuddering and his chest began dry heaving.

An unhinged cry erupted from the man's throat and he began sobbing, "They took it!"

Hinata remembered a lesson from her mother.

 _'Remember Daughter. If you ever come across a man who can never parch his throat with water, but fills it with foul herbs or chemicals - then avoid them and never accept their poisoned gifts. '_

The villagers moved around uneasy. The sobbing bandit turned hateful eyes on them, "IT'S ALL YER FAULT!"

The bandit raised a sword to cut the ropes and the townsfolk screamed. The sword never connected as Hinata appeared in a burst of speed and ripped out the man's arm from its socket.

The bandit fell down screaming and his fellows drew their swords at the mysterious cloaked person.

Hinata held out the arm and grinned with razor-sharp teeth, before she sunk her teeth into the arm and pulled back.

Villagers turned green and the bandits hurled their stomach contents as the cloaked woman made a show of chewing the meat and swallowing it with an exaggerated 'gulp'.

Hinata licked her lips of the 'sweet nectar'

The bandits trembled and some even pissed themselves.

"Wh-who are you?" Asked one of them.

Hinata finished eating the arm and flashed a mouth of white fangs, "Tastes like chicken"

"Monster!"

The renegades abandoned their dying leader and ran away.

"Hey get back here. Don't leave me!" The bandit leader yelled.

A shadow fell on the man and he turned around with a whimper. The robed menace stood over him. Sinister red and lilac eyes shone from the hood with dark hunger.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

III

Hinata burped and rubbed her belly. The village elder knelt on his knees profusely thanking the strange robed girl.

"Thank you girly. We are forever in your debt." Said the tear stricken man. Smiling villagers echoed the elders statement.

Hinata laughed, "It's nothing really." She held up her hands in a pleading manner.

The elder wasn't having any of that, "Please allow us to host you for tonight. We can give you supplies and a room for the night."

Hinata bit her lip, "Well..."

Hours later the pale girl floated in a small hot spring alone. She lifted a toned leg and relaxed into the warm moonlit waters. _'Those villagers are so nice. They were scared of me until the elder calmed them down and convinced them I was one of those *Shinobi Types*'_

Closing her eyes she let the warm water soothe her tense body. Muscles uncoiled and small popping noises elicited a satisfied moan. _'It's so satisfying having a humanoid body again.'_ Slowly, she reached deep inside her. Her awareness seeped into her body and the world fell away.

Arms changed into long slender limbs and her torso contracted and expanded to allow her abdomen to expand behind her. Red sclera receded as her lavender pupils and iris expanded to cover her whole eyes, and two split into four. Her head-guard transformed into four spiked limbs covering her face and mandibles grew from her mouth.

"Mhm, now this is relaxing." Hinata shivered in relief. She loved being in her human form, but sometimes she felt the urge to revert to the form she was born with.

It's purely luck on her part that she convinced the villagers to lend her their only hotspring for a night. They hadn't seen anything other than her strange red and lilac eyes, and clawed fingers. The two anomalies could be explained as part of a bloodline or some sort of Kinjutsu. These villagers only knowledge of Shinobi was that they possessed terrifying and supernatural powers. Something like strange eye color or clawed hands were nothing compared to throwing around elemental ninjutsu or making clones.

"RING!"

Her eyes opened in alarm.

"RING!"

"RING!"

"The bandits are back!" Someone yelled.

The sounds of metal cutting flesh and screams split the night. From above the thin wooden walls surrounding her, Hinata could make out a red glow.

 _'Fires'_ She realized.

"Stranger-Sama!" Someone yelled rushing into the hotspring.

The man skid to a halt, eyes wide. No one was here.

III

"Kill them all men. Avenge our leader!" Yelled a thick muscled man with a club. Hundreds of ragged bandits roared in return. The men wore iron cuirass's with leather skirts and carried random weapons; from bows to short swords, and even spears.

 _'That's right. With this many men that freak can't stop us now.'_ The bandit thought.

A blood curdling scream rent the night, "HELP ME ARGHH-" The scream cut off.

The bandit leader whipped around to see one of his men disappear into the dark trees above. The bandits panicked and began firing arrows and swinging wildly into the dark.

"IT'S GOT ME HEL-*Squelch*" The leader of the raiders fell on his back as something wet and viscous poured over him. He screamed and tried to wipe the fluid off him. He couldn't see anything. The sounds of men dying and wet ripping sounds drove the terrified man to abandon his allies and flee.

Through blurry eyes he jumped over shrouded shrubbery and barely avoided running into a tree. "Ahhh!" He tripped on a tree root and scrambled to his feet.

"Hiss"

He looked up and froze. Four eyes stared at him from the dark trees. Hungry fangs parted and saliva dripped onto the man's face.

"Dear Rikudo" He whispered.

The spider leaped and cut off the man's scream.

III

Hinata slowly walked back to the village and wrapped her cloak around her blood stained form. She idly licked her claws clean and shivered. A memory came to mind at the taste.

 _'Remember my little spiderling. One day you will leave our nest. When that day comes you may be forced to kill a human. Be warned, their taste is addictive and it is easy to lose yourself. Remember, restraint is your ally.'_

How was she supposed to know they would taste so good? Her mouth watered at the memory of eating those bandits. It was like the best chicken her mother had ever cooked. She had slowly grown familiar to the carnivorous lifestyle she had found herself in. For her early life she had learned to catch small animals like coyote and deer in her webs. When she held that humans arm in her hand she just couldn't hold herself back.

Soon she found herself back inside the village. There were many wounded and a few burned down buildings, but everyone was mostly ok. When a wounded villager came to greet her she almost attacked him, but she reeled back her control. What would her mother say if she started attacking innocent humans?

 _'Her mother looked at a blood stained Hinata and shook her head in disappointment.'_ Her features hardened. She would stay in control. Her urges did not rule her.

The villager breathed harshly and leaned on a shovel. He heaved and sweat dripped down his brow.

"I- the- village elder Gamori needs to see you." The man gasped.

She nodded and moved at a brisk pace to the house. The elder Gamori waited out front and the dark bags under his eyes noticeably lessened when he spotted her, "There she is. Stranger-Sama over here."

"I hope the damage wasn't too bad." She said looking a little guilty.

He shook his head, ignorant to her inner thoughts, "No, no, not at all!" He motioned to the village, "There is barely any damage at all."

He turned to her with a bow, "Whatever you did the bandits are now gone."

She adverted her gaze, "Let's just say they won't be bothering you ever again."

The elder knelt to his knees and bowed his head. The rest of the villagers followed, "Please if there is anything we can do, all you need do is ask."

She shifted uneasily. The concept of someone owing her something was foreign.

"Perhaps there is something I could require."

The elder lifted his head, "Oh?"

"I need a written commendation from yourself and at least ten of your villagers."

The villagers faces showed their disbelief. A man stepped forward, "Surely there is more we can do for our hero?"

"Nope" She crossed her arms with a chipper smile, "I just need a recommendation so I can enter the closest hidden village." She pointed a clawed finger to her face, still hidden under the hood, "Let's just say I have a kekkei Genkai and it makes me look a little odd. I need someone to vouch for me so I don't get attacked the second I enter Iwagakure."

Gamori sighed, "I think I understand. I will find as many willing villagers as I can."

"Thank you"

He chuckled, "If it wasn't for you we wouldn't have a village right now. It's the least we could do."

III

Morning came fast and Hinata departed the village with a smile. The cheering villagers waved at her as she walked down the dirt road with her new rucksack slung over shoulder. It was slightly irritating because it rubbed over her two shoulder tentacles. The four spear-like limbs were hard enough to conceal around her waist, but the ones on her shoulder were starting to poke through her cloak with the added weight getting in the way.

"Of all the-" She fidgeted and mumbled all the way down to Iwa. Once she got there she was going to buy one of those seals that you could put stuff inside.

Finally arriving at Iwa she was stopped by the guards.

"Halt!"

A Chunin with wavy black hair and a thick chin bone moved in front of her, "State your business and Identification."

She mentally went over her story before responding, "My name is Hinata BlackWidow. I am from a small nameless clan that settled in the far north of the land of earth." She handed a form to the Chunin.

The man accepted the form and went over it. His eyes slowly grew wider as he kept reading. He looked up at her with mouth open, "Is this accurate."

"Yes, that contains the signatures of the entire village of Kenaio and a letter of passage from its village elder. I am aware that my kekkei Genkai gives me a very...peculiar appearance."

"Very Well. Our Tsuchikage would see you then."

Following the man Hinata peaked glances at the village. The village rested on a large rocky plane with mountains rising at the edges. The streets were gravel lanes that interconnected throughout the village and allowed the thousands of bustling crowds to mill about. The buildings were mostly constructed from the sandstone colored rock that formed the land with the exception of a few wooden shops.

They walked past crowds of curious onlookers. A dark haired girl wearing the standard red undershirt and brown flak jacket of Iwa greeted them at the Tsuchikage Tower. She had short cut hair with two bangs that fell around her face, and a cocky grin to match.

"Who's she?"

The Chunin shrugged, "She arrived at the front gates with a letter from the villager elder of Kenaio and the signatures of the entire town. The elder claims she saved them from a group of bloodthirsty bandits."

The girls eyes widened, "That's impressive for someone not affiliated with a hidden village" Black eyes narrowed, "Where did she say she was from?"

The Chunin shuffled around, "The far North, possibly beyond the dune deserts."

Hinata spoke up, "My mother taught me. I am from an unaffiliated clan that hides in the mountains up north because of our clans physical appearance."

A convenient lie. If they thought she was human with a weird Kekkai Genkai they wouldn't start questioning why a summoning animal was outside their territory and pretending to be a human.

The girl tapped a hand on her thigh, "Ok"

Hinata blinked.

The girl smirked, "Let's see what gramps has to say."

Hinata realized now the girl she had been talking to must have been related to the current Tsuchikage.

Seeing the spark in her eyes the black haired girl chuckled and held out a hand, "By the way, refer to me as Kurotsuchi"

"Hinata" She replied taking the hand and shaking.

If the Iwa nin was surprised at the clawed hands or the insane grip strength of the indigo haired girl she didn't let it show.

"Well Hinata, if you want to stay in our cozy little village I suggest you follow me and let me do most of the talking. Old man Onoki has a short temper."

She nodded and silently followed Kurotsuchi inside the tower. They climbed a long winding stairway and eventually reached a red marked door. Kurotsuchi knocked twice.

"Enter"

They walked inside and Hinata looked around at the moderately large office. The floor was a polished mahogany with an Oakwood desk and tan stone walls. Three windows laid open behind the Tsuchikages desk and piles of paperwork sat piled on the desk.

"What is it now Kurotsuchi? This better not be another one of your attempts to get me out of the office." Said a stressed elderly voice.

Hinata laid eyes on the Tsuchikage. The man himself was somewhat short and had a thick bulbous nose with a receding hairline and tired dark eyes with stress lines underneath them. Despite the man's age and appearance she could feel the potent chakra radiating off the man. He was the second strongest being she had met behind her mother, but it was very close.

Kurotsuchi stuck a finger in Onoki's face, "Hey I'm not the one who never comes home. When was the last time? Five weeks?"

The man gave a winded exhale, "You know the responsibilities that entails ruling a village." He gestured to the pile of paperwork, "I can't just let this pile up."

"Ahem" Their heads snapped to her. She gave a sheepish grin, "Hello I am looking for permission to stay in your village."

Onoki measured up the strange girl, and the kind grandpa she had seen a moment ago vanished. Dark eyes reflected a stone cold determination and a will to see it through.

 _'A man willing to do anything to protect his home.'_

"Who are you?" He asked.

Kurotsuchi held out a letter. Onoki took the offered letter with a raised brow, "A letter of commendation from Gamori?" He looked at her with curious eyes, "I haven't seen that old bat in over a decade. If what this letter says is true than I am very grateful for your assistance."

Hinata blushed, "It's nothing."

"Kurotsuchi says that you belong to a minor clan from the far north." He steepled his fingers and settled a steely gaze on her.

Hinata nodded. She knew she could not lie to this man. He would instantly see through her and she would die. Her mother taught her the best deception was to mix truth with deception. _'As long as he does not ask too many direct questions I can get through this.'_

"Hai, I belong to a minor clan from the mountainous far north. We mostly keep to ourselves and my mother thought I should travel around and acquire some worldly experience."

Onoki nodded, "That is remarkable for one so young. I cannot see your face clearly but your voice suggests you should be around perhaps fifteen years old. The reason there aren't more villages up north is because it is infested with dangerous chakra animals and the terrain is very harsh."

"Yes, my kekkei Genkai gifts me with great stamina, strength, and regeneration but effects my appearance drastically" She made a motion of pulling her cloak tighter and adverting her face, "When I show myself it usually causes a commotion and I am chased out of town."

Onoki's face softened, "Alright girl, there's no getting around it. Show me what's so scary about you."

She let the cloak fall to the floor. Kurotsuchi's hand instinctually reached for a kunai and Onoki almost fell back from his chair.

"By the Rikudo girl." Onoki looked up and down her slender form, not even lingering on her slender pale stomach, sides, or the cleavage showing from her collarbone.

Kurotsuchi stared at the dark chitin covering her limbs and vitals with a mix of wonder and dread, and those eyes...red sclera surrounded a single large lavender dot, covering both iris and pupil.

Four spiderlike limbs extended from Hinata's back and she moaned in relief. Seeing their faces her cheeks reddened, "Sorry It just felt so good letting them out. You have no idea how long I've had them folded up."

Onoki was the first one to break out of his stupor, "I've heard of a few clans like this." Seeing he had both their attention he continued, "I faced against a clan in the second Shinobi war that had a strange ailment. They would unconsciously absorb nature chakra and it would transform their bodies into monstrous creatures."

He spared her a wary grimace, "I do not know if your clan is related to them but that is probably why you look so...unusual."

She nodded, "My mother thought it would be good if I traveled around and interacted with normal people. Can I stay here for a while?"

Onoki paused and traded a look with his granddaughter. Slowly he turned back to her, "How would you like to become a Iwa shinobi?"

"Huh?"

III

Hinata walked out of the Tsuchikage tower with a brand new forehead protector.

"Well... that happened."


	4. Chapter Four: Graduation

Fates Web

Chapter Four: Graduation

Author Notes: I hope everyone is faring well since my last update. I am looking for a beta currently, so if anyone has some constructive criticism in the mean time I would be very thankful.

Quick heads up. I view Sakura very negatively in part one, so don't crucify me for portraying her badly. I won't bash her but I will make her work for her importance in the story. Naruto will not have a crush on her like in Canon. Hinata's death really hit him hard and she is all he thinks about, so romance isn't on his mind. Sakura will play a bigger role later on.

III = Interlude/ character perspective switch.

 **Bold text** = Inner voice/ something important speaking.

There will be no crossovers, or characters from other shows.

* * *

The sun radiated it's life giving light upon the world. Clear Blue skies the color of the crystalline blue ocean gifted those below a beautiful view of the soft misty white clouds, and those who gazed upon them felt a sense of wonder.

 _She_ would have loved it Naruto mused.

The academy finals were approaching and he needed a way to pass. Despite his so called 'friends' perception of the blond oaf; he was very much intelligent. Behind the exterior of a foolish attention hungry prankster was a calculating and prodigious child. The only reason he was bottom of the barrel in class was because biased academy teacher's kicked him out of class or gave him detention for no reason. It was pure luck when Iruka started working at the academy. The kindly scarred chunin made sure no one mistreated the blonde on his watch, but the damage was already done and Naruto's abysmal chakra control and Ninjutsu scores put him behind even the pathetic Civilian born Haruno.

He glared at the sky, cursing whatever cruel god gave man chakra, and subsequently took away the only person to truly see him for who he was. He snatched up his belongings and began walking to the academy.

The villagers barely gave him any hateful looks, too afraid now. Some of them even moved out of the way and froze in fear. In the last two years he had changed greatly. No longer did he silently take their angry stares, their overpriced food, or their snarky comments.

Two years ago he had come begging to a vegetable stand. His small body looked sickly and his skin clung to his bones. His eyes had sunken in and dark rings surrounded them.

 _'Yes, I remember it like yesterday'_

 **Flashback**

 _Naruto's small broken body kneeled in front of the merchant, "P-please sir I just need something to eat."_

 _The Merchant sneered. The man was slightly overweight and had a tan healthy flush. He looked down at the orphan and laughed, "So the little demon brat comes to MY stand and begs for mercy!"_

 _Naruto trembled as the man took out a large knife. Naruto fell on his back and slowly crawled away as the man advanced, "S-stop!"_

 _"I don't tolerate demons in my stand."_

 _The knife was swift and red ichor dripped onto the earth._

 _Bloodshot eyes stared in shock at the knife in his ribs. Naruto coldly twisted the blade and the man collapsed, eyes wide in disbelief._

 _GASP!_

 _"Murderer!"_

 _"The demon just killed someone!"_

 _Blood dripped down Naruto's face. He pointed the knife at the crowd of terrified villagers, "Hear me Villagers of Konoha! Today is the last I will ever take any of your shit."_

 _Anbu soon arrived to take the blood soaked boy away. A guilt ridden Hiruzen pardoned him as it had been self defense and nothing could be done._

 **Flashback Over**

He smiled at the memory. Since that day the villagers had left him alone. Parents made their children avoid him. His only friend was a dark skinned boy from Kumo. Dai was very similar to him.

The kumogakure boy was hated and feared for his distinctive dark skin which was only native to their most hated enemy. Jeers and liberal use of the N-word assailed the foreign orphan every day, but he stayed strong and refused to play their game. He wasn't going to give into their hate.

The boy had earned Naruto's respect. If anyone in the entire world could understand him it was Dai and Sasuke.

Sasuke was different, but more similar than you would think. The last Uchiha was practically worshipped by the entire populace, but were they worshipping Sasuke or the clan he represented?

Loving everyone was the same as loving no one, and that was especially true of Sasuke. His own older sibling had massacred his entire clan in one night and tortured the boy with a genjutsu. The village's love for Sasuke was shallow and made Naruto truly pity him.

Speaking of...

"Hey Naruto!" Dai waved.

He gave a nod and walked into the academy with his best friend.

Dai slapped Naruto on the back, "So I hear you found yourself a girlfriend."

He sputtered, "W-what?!"

A mischievous twinkle sparkled in Dai's eye, "Why a certain pink haired howler monkey of course."

"Hahaha" Naruto leaned on a wall for support, "You had me for a minute."

Dai snickered, "Don't say you heard from me but rumor is that her mother has it out bad for you."

Naruto snorted, "That Civilian council bitch Sayako is always trying find a reason to make my life harder." He remembered that time when he and Dai had snuck itching powder into all the Anbu uniforms. The stuck up Haruno had demanded the De-prankster be put in prison. Of course the Sandaime had laughed and not so kindly removed her from his office.

Dai rubbed the back of his head, "Man, don't I know. I remember when you convinced me to help you paint the Hokage Mountain in broad daylight. How did we even pull that off?"

Naruto shrugged, "Not sure, but we did it."

"You're going to get us expelled one day."

He waved Dai's concern off, "Jiji won't let that happen."

"*Sigh* I hope you're right."

The duo arrived at the classroom and ignored their yearmates bustling around them. The crowd parted and they walked inside.

The room suddenly become very, very silent. You might hear a pin drop as just about everyone turns to look at them. Mops of black and brown bobbed in whispers as " _those two_ " arrived.

If any of the stares and whispers bothered Naruto he did not show it. Calmly he took his place next to Sasuke's seat with Dai to his left.

Iruka sat slouched in his desk shuffling papers for the lesson about to start.

 _'Like any of this is going to help us survive. At least I'm sitting beside real shinobi'_

The moment that thought flies through his head a spiky mop of black hair slips through the doorway, and he smiles at the aforementioned ninja himself. Sasuke Uchiha walked into class brooding with his hands held comfortably in his pockets.

It was pure luck that he had been labeled the dead last. Now he would be partnered with the rookie of the year, and if he could convince Jiji maybe he could get Dai on his team as well. The useless Haruno would only weigh them down, and he wouldn't need to worry about Sakura falling into an enemy trap because of her inattention caused by her foolish crush on the last Uchiha.

With measured steps Sasuke brushed off his fangirls and spotted them. The cold Uchiha's face melted slightly, before his expression morphed into a barely detectable smile.

"Dobe"

"Bastard"

The two's eyes met, words not needed as a silent message was exchanged. Sasuke was the first one to break. The Uchiha's prideful smirk adorned his face and he took his seat next to his 'friends'.

It had started off as something innocuous. Naruto had been a good training partner. His unending stamina and grit served as a good 'live' practice dummy for the Uchiha and he occasionally tried to correct some of his abysmal stances. Eventually a cool rivalry had developed between the two and to this day it helped distract them from their own demons.

Iruka only sighs and shakes his head at his trouble students before starting to read out the list of students registered for the exams this year, "Now remember class - If you decide you think you need extra help all you need to do is ask and I will offer after school tutoring. If you fail this test you will be held back another year."

There's something deeply ironic seeing the so called "Genius Haruno" raising her hand and timidly ask for tutoring. Her body was just skin and bones with barely any muscle due to that idiotic diet she put herself on.

Soon Iruka called them up for taijutsu spars.

"Sasuke Uchiha vs Naruto Uzumaki" Called Mizuki-Sensei's voice.

Voices broke out in excited whispers as he made his way down to the sparing mat. Soon enough he was staring down his arch rival.

There is a moment where his rivals eyes widen and he takes a step forward on instinct, then he spreads his arms out in the Uchiha interceptor fist. "Bring it dobe", he taunts, though it lacks any bite.

Naruto returned the taunt with one of his own, "What's the hurry?" He met the Uchiha's dark eyes, "Want to get your thrashing over with so soon?"

"Hn" Sasuke slid into a defensive stance and waited.

Naruto growled and adopted an unrefined and sloppy stance with his left hand held out and his right arm kept close to his face. The two made no move to advance, and merely stood still.

"Hey what is the deal?"

"Yeah get on with it already!"

Seconds turned into minutes and even the Sensei's were getting annoyed. Sensing the need to move the boys sprinted at each other and their fists met in a clash.

Naruto sprung in the air and launched a savage right hook. Sasuke skillfully pivoted on the ball of his left food and saddled the side of Naruto's right arm, and grabbed him by the bicep and wrist. Sasuke twisted the wrist and swung Naruto over him.

Naruto skid for several feet. He shakily got up on his knees, "That hurt you bastard!"

"Hn, maybe you shouldn't have rushed me."

Naruto roared and ran straight for Sasuke. The Uchiha chuckled, "I thought you would have learned by now you ca-"

Naruto dropped to the ground and grabbed the boy by the shin. Sasuke yelped as Naruto punched the boy below the kneecap and watched with satisfaction as the Uchiha collapsed.

Sasuke's other leg lashed out kicking Naruto in the face, "Let go you dobe!"

Naruto spit out a glob of blood and held on to the leg, "Never." He held fast and jammed a thumb in the soft tissue behind the knee.

Sasuke went taut and grit his teeth in silent agony.

"Alright that's enough, spars over." Mizuki stepped in and Naruto released the panting Uchiha.

Sasuke met his face and glowered, "Next time I won't go so easy on you."

Naruto let a cocky grin split his face, "It's good to see you that you still have that Uchiha pride."

Unsure if this was a complement Sasuke did the first thing that came to mind, "Hn"

Returning to their seats Naruto gave Dai a fist bump.

"Dude that was so cool. Where did you learn that move?" Dai asked with amazement at Naruto's underhanded victory over the rookie of the year.

"When you struggle to survive on the streets you learn a few tricks" He commented.

Dai blinked, "That's messed up."

Naruto Shrugged, "You either adapt or you die in this world. You can't stay innocent in a world of death like this."

"Yeah I guess..." A little put off Dai faced away from him in thought.

 _'After all I was innocent once. I tried to play the hero, and she paid for it.'_

III

Naruto's brain struggled to compute what he had just been told, "What?"

Iruka gave him a sad frown, "I'm sorry but you fail."

He looked at the academy teacher at a loss. Was he hearing this right? This couldn't be happening. He had aced the written test and mastered two of the academy three. He displayed masterful usage of Henge and Kawarimi. It was that thrice damned bunshin!

He seethed in rage. Mizuki traded looks with Iruka, "Hey now Iruka, surely we can make an exception here. The bunshin isn't that important."

Iruka sighed, "I wish I could but the academy curriculum is set and if a student fails one of the basic three then they cannot pass. I'm sorry Naruto but you fail."

Nails dug into flesh as Naruto's fists bled. He leveled a icy stare at the teacher's, "Whatever", and like that walked away.

Iruka made to follow after him, "I should probably go talk with him."

Mizuki grabbed Iruka by the arm, "No wait!" Seeing he had Iruka's attention he spoke, "let me go talk to him. You've had a hard week, go home and relax."

Iruka hesitated, "I guess I could use a break...thanks Mizuki"

The White haired Chunin showed his pearly whites, "No, thank you."

III

Naruto smiled as Iruka placed a forehead protector on his head. Anbu hauled the beaten Mizuki to his feet and cuffed him.

"Naruto I am so proud of you."

Naruto wiped the tears from his face, "Thanks Sensei. Now I can finally become a ninja."

The two stared at the rising sun and walked back to the village.


	5. Chapter Five: Enter The Teams

Fates Web

Chapter Five: Enter The Teams

Author Notes: Here is my next update. Has anyone seen the latest Boruto manga? It's pretty crazy honestly. I won't spoil things but you should really check it out.

III = Interlude/ character perspective switch.

 **Bold text** = Inner voice/ something important speaking.

There will be no crossovers, or characters from other shows.

* * *

 **Flashback**

 _Of Harsh times_

 _3 Years Ago_

Naruto felt a little guilty for scaring a four old boy who was had insulted him. But He was also happy that he could make someone else feel like he did, _"They call me a demon, a freak."_ When all was said and done he would make sure they never made him feel the sharp bite of their hateful words again. _"Just because I could scare a little kid doesn't mean it'd work on an adult, let alone a trained ninja."_

But he had found his calling. From then on, he terrorized the village. In the academy he was a loud troublemaker with a quick temper, but in private...

He quickly became associated with the mysterious caper who dyed all of the Anbu's clothes pink, the uncatchable phantom who poured laxatives in your drinks right before sexy times. The adults and children alike learned fast to avoid his anger if they didn't want itching powder in their clothes or a nice surprise in their cereal box.

Of course he had nothing to do with that last one, but who was going to believe him?

 _'Hateful eyes turned glared at the child murderer'_

 _'Killer'_

 _'Monster'_

He would wake up, eat breakfast alone, then sit outside the ramshackle orphanage with a book of his choice. Then he would do push-ups and sit-ups, and practice punching and kicking the air - imitating the Shinobi that he peaked on in the training grounds.

Some days he simply laid on his back, staring at the blue expanse and it's fluffy milk white clouds. Every day since _that_ night was sleepless, and only the numb serenity of the sunny sky brought color to his world. Sometimes a black haired boy would join him and stare vacantly into the sky.

A group of older kids tried to confront him once. They called him a freak and told him he should go away because he was unwanted. He remembered their pitiful moans as they laid broken on the dirt.

That was the last time anyone bothered him.

Sometimes, when the pain would become too much and he would huddle in his squalid room he imagined if it would be better if he left. He wondered if he should oblige his detractors and run away where no one would find him. Then came the anger. What would Hinata say? No, he would become a Shinobi and exact revenge on the ones who took her. He had made a promise over her grave that he would set things right.

He smiled, "When Uzumaki Naruto makes a promise you better believe it."

* * *

Hinata walked languidly into the clearing where she would meet her new team. She had traded her tattered brown cloak for a black cloak with a Purple hourglass on the back. Her collar was unbuttoned from hood to her sternum; allowing a little cleavage to show, and prominently display the Forehead protector tied loosely around her neck.

Kurotsuchi waved, "Hinata what took you so long?"

Was she late? She had gotten a little side tracked exploring the village, oops.

"I got lost."

The Iwa girl tsked, "What did I tell you before you left the tower yesterday?"

"*Sigh* Keep a map on you at all times until you memorize the layout of the village", Hinata repeated like she was quoting something tedious.

Kurotsuchi nodded, "Good, now that you are here maybe we can get our introductions in order."

She pointed behind her at a overweight teen with the standard Iwa uniform and a doughy face, "This here is Akatsuchi." She offered a cocky grin.

Akatsuchi gave a shy smile and waved, "Hello"

"Hinata" She said simply.

A puff of smoke announced the final member of the team. A man built like a body builder with a flat face and thick nose. The man's eyes searched over them with judging eyes.

"So you're the girl my dad replaced Waraji with."

 _'So that's the name of their former team member.'_

Her half-lidded eyes slowly widened. If they were willing to place her on an existing team then they must value her abilities highly. She eyed the Jounin and her new teammates with caution. The question now was if they truly thought she was dangerous enough to warrant such a team. The less dangerous and more favorable scenario was that they wanted to ensure her survival to a breeding age and settle down with a loyal Iwa ninja.

She mentally scoffed. She wouldn't lay with any of these monkeys.

Sensing her team growing inpatient Hinata drew herself out of her musings, "Greetings Honorable Jounin-Sama." She bowed at the waist.

This drew a raised brow from Kitsuchi, "You seem very well mannered for a mountain girl." He said in a thick deep voice, doubt buried inch deep. His dark eyes look at her in a new light.

"My mother is very well read. She thought such lessons would help me if I encounter hostile individuals." She mentally slapped herself. How could she be so careless. Rural girls out of the boonies don't walk with grace in their step or lie with a silver tongue.

Thankfully Kitsuchi seemed to buy her lie.

He nodded, "Now that everyone is here let's introduce ourselves."

Kurotsuchi decided to go first, "My name is Kurotsuchi and I am the granddaughter of the Sandaime Tsuchikage." She pointed at Kitsuchi, "This is my dad and the oaf over there is my little brother."

The girl gained a thoughtful look, "I dream of one day become Tsuchikage, and killing a certain someone", Her expression hardened near the end.

Kitsuchi spoke, "Alright, that's a good start but let's see what your brother has to say."

"Umm, maybe Hinata should go first." Akatsuchi mumbled. The boy snuck a glance at Hinata.

Kitsuchi grumbled about girly boys and not raising them like they used to.

"Ok then. You're up grunt."

Hinata threw her hands wide, "My name is Hinata BlackWidow, I have things that I like and a couple things I don't. As for a dream?" Her face turned a light purple, "To get revenge on a certain village and find someone."

"I hope that village isn't ours?" Kitsuchi chuckled.

"Thankfully no." Anger reared its ugly head at the reminder that she needed to make Kumo pay for hurting her best friend and killing her.

"Oi, it's my turn" Came Akatsuchi's jubilant voice.

"My name is Akatsuchi and I'm the grandson of the Tsuchikage and this guy is my dad", He said pointing to the ripped Jounin, "I love tending our garden and studying at the library. One day I'm going to become Tsuchikage just like Jiji!"

Kitsuchi's face slackened and he grunted, "Still going on about those dreams of yours."

Hinata was curious why Akatsuchi's face fell. Did his father not approve of his seemingly gentle nature? The boy reminded her of Naruto somewhat.

"Well it doesn't matter. Boy will learn sooner or later." Kitsuchi fixed the three of them with a commanding eye, "Listen up because I'm only doing this for the newbie. I am The jounin commander of this village and the son of the Tsuchikage. We will be forming an assault team and specialize in frontline fighting. Any questions?"

Hinata raised a hand, "Yes, if I kill an enemy can I eat him?"

Everyone turned slightly green. Kitsuchi looked decidedly uncomfortable, "... It's standard procedure to dispose of enemy corpses, and there isn't any rule about how you go about that."

Taking that as a confirmation the Hyuuga flashed a toothy smile that did little to soothe her anxious Genin team.

Kurotsuchi coughed, "It's about that time isn't it?"

Kitsuchi nodded, "I need to test you again since we have a new member."

"Test?" Asked their new member.

"A test of strength." Kitsuchi spoke while holding out clenched fists, "I am going to test your ability as a team and individual power."

Hinata mentally readied herself, _'Let's see how strong you are then. I want to see how an Elite Jounin ranks against me.'_

Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi stepped beside Hinata and adopted a triangle formation.

Kitsuchi gave an approving grunt, "Good but let's see how well you fight."

"Earth Release: Rock Clone Jutsu"

Two Kitsuchi clones formed from the stone ground and marched to face their respective opponents.

Hinata faced down the real Jounin. Kitsuchi's features were blank and offered no opening to exploit. _'He's holding himself back and waiting for me to make the first move.'_ Her eyes moved to the way Kitsuchi shifted his left leg to his left side and bent his right leg. The man was like a coiled spring ready to move at a moment's notice.

A frontal assault against an opponent with an unknown skill set would be foolish. Thoughts of digging underground were quickly suppressed. Kitsuchi was an elite Jounin of Iwa. The earth was his specialty and any attempts to use it against him would be suicidal at best.

 _'So where should I attack?'_ Her eyes scanned her surroundings for an advantage she could hold over the man.

Hinata's gaze swept over the rocky plains before a light bulb went off. _'That's it!'_

Kitsuchi tensed and his lips adopted a frown as the cloaked Genin began running to his left.

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Rampart."

The ground under the Jounin launched into the air before the Spider girl could begin to close the distance. A giant mound of earth over a hundred meters in size rose until it towered over the few trees in the area.

Hinata jumped an inhumanly high distance into the air. She laughed seeing the Jounin's look of disbelief, "Water Release: Pressurized Water Scythe." Hinata spewed a thin line of water that scythed through the rocky rampart like butter.

Kitsuchi dived into the manmade mountain with "Hiding like a mole technique" and escaped the collapsing structure.

Hinata glared at the spot the former Iwa nin occupied. That had taken almost a quarter of her chakra and was the only A-ranked water jutsu her mother had taught her.

Kitsuchi popped out from below her, "Earth Release: Rocky Popcorn no jutsu" The diced mountain split further into thousands of human sized boulders and the ground below erupted like a volcano, sending them skyborne.

"Wow!" The breath left her lungs as a rock flying at terminal velocity slammed into her armored back and sent her flying.

Struggling to pick herself up she peeled her face off the rock and got to her feet with a liberal application of the tree walking exercise. "*Gasp* What the hell?"

Looking down she could barely see the trees from the brown patchy dirt that made up the land of earth. "How high did he send me?!"

"Earth Release: Rock bullet technique"

"...!" Hinata jumped off a falling boulder as rock bullets tore it apart. With an unearthly grace she spun through the air and jumped from rock to rock. Sometimes she would miss and her spear-like legs would impale the boulders, keeping her from becoming a splat on the ground.

Hundreds of stone boulders fell from the sky and the training ground shook as thousands of tons of rock decimated the land. Hinata jumped from falling boulder to boulder, staying in the air and away from the deathzone below.

Hinata growled, "Let's see how you handle this for size!" Clawing deep within her core Hinata slid into the Spider Taijusu stance. A hail of rock bullets launched towards her.

"Spider Style: One hundred chakra palms" With swift fingers Hinata connected a razor-bladed claw at each ballistic rock, shattering it. Hundreds of strikes similar to the Gentle fist blurred the area in front of the girl.

Kitsuchi let the technique die off and straightened his back, "Impressive"

Hinata didn't let the compliment distract her as she was already on the move. She jumped at her Sensei and launched a web from her wrist. Spider silk connected with Kitsuchi and she pulled her arm back.

"What!?"

The surprised Elite Jounin was rocked forward toward Hinata. "Taste pain!" She let her tentacles burst from her back and race forward to impale the airborne man.

Reacting with speed too fast for her to follow, Kitsuchi cut her webs with a chakra infused kunai and avoided her spear-like tentacles, driving a knee into her solar plexus.

"Hidden Technique: Rising blow of the Ox." Chakra pooled in Kitsuchi's leg muscles and with a roar he sent the Human Spider flying.

The lavender in her eyes faded, "ACK!" She rocketed towards the ground and dug a crater over twenty feet long.

 _'It Hurts!'_ She tried to move her arms but it felt like someone was driving knives through her. She managed to look at her body and groaned at the cracks and chips that ran through her chitin. Purple blood dripped from the cracks and she felt faint.

"Don't move or you will only injure yourself" Kitsuchi stepped forward, "The test is over."

Hinata bit her lip, "And?"

He chuckled, "You passed with flying colors kid. In fact you might be solid Tokubetsu Jounin in strength."

She gave a relieved exhale, "That's good."

* * *

Naruto took his usual seat next to Dai. The dark skinned boy seemed almost ready to pop from adrenaline.

After Naruto took his seat, Iruka began dividing up teams.

"Team Seventeen: Nobunaga Gonshina, KenTsuchi Inuzuka, Rin Yamanaka. Your Jounin sensei will be Ebisu" That was interesting. Iruka remembered the Elite teacher with the sun glasses wanting to train the honorable grandson.

"Team Ten: Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Chouji. Your Jounin sensei will be Sarutobi Asuma." Choji threw a fist in the air scattering his bag of chips all over the floor to his horror.

"Team Eight: Sakura Haruno, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino. Your Jounin sensei will be Yuhi Kurenai." Shino's insects buzzed in irritation that he would be on a team with the painfully loud fangirl.

"Team Seven: Dai Yotsuki, Uchiha Sasuke, and Naruto Uzumaki an-"

"Yes!" Naruto yelled.

Iruka glared, "Ahem, The final member of Team Seven and your Sensei will be Hatake Kakashi."

As Iruka sounded off the rest of the teams, the members of Team Seven were having a stare-down. Well, at least Sasuke was, Naruto was just holding Sasuke's glare unflinchingly, and Dai peered out the window.

Sasuke held the fierce gaze until his eyes grew tired and he turned to watch the sky through the window.

 _'I win!'_ Thought Naruto. _'This isn't so bad either. I have a decent team and my two best friends are on it.'_

As the Jounin began arriving to take away their assigned students, the teams left one by one until Team Seven were the only ones left. Right now it was just them and Iruka in the classroom at the time, but even the teacher had to eventually leave.

"Do you think our Sensei got hurt or called away on some important mission?" Dai questioned.

"Na, he's just taking his sweet time." Naruto said, face down on the desk and half asleep.

"How would you know something like that Dobe?"

Naruto sighed, "Hatake Kakashi is infamous for his tardiness. I heard he even showed up late for his own funeral."

Dai slapped his leg, "I call bullshit."

"I have to agree. How can you have a funeral if you're not dead?" Sasuke stated with a hint of amusement.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Take my word for it. Rumor has it that he supposedly had to fake his death on some super secret mission and jumped out of his coffin to nab a traitor."

"Actually it was a spy."

Everyone snapped to attention as a man with spiky white hair stepped through the doorway.

"Are you guys Team Seven?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"No, we were waiting on another Hatake Kakashi" Snarked the dreadlocked member of the trio.

Kakashi just smiled under his mask. "My first impression is...I like you. Meet me on the roof in five minutes." with that, the man disappeared in a tornado of billowing leafs.

Sasuke vanished, leaving a ring of fire where he formerly stood.

Naruto shared a WTF expression with Dai and they just took the stairs.

Naruto walked onto the roof followed by Dai. They saw their third teammate and their sensei already waiting for them.

"Alright then. Let's get to know each other! Likes, dislikes, hobbies, goals. You go first, Darky." Kakashi pointed at Dai, who took slight offense at the nickname.

"My name is Dai Yotsuki, I like my friends and people who don't judge someone for their appearances..." Subtlety glances towards Kakashi. "I dislike People who hurt friends. "

 _'He seems mature and is dealing with his circumstances well.'_ "Okay, you, the brooder." Kakashi said, pointing at Sasuke.

"Hn, My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I like training and these two idiots. I dislike weak people and those who don't pull their own weight. Hobbies... I like watching the clouds with the Dobe. My goal...No, my _ambition_ is to kill a certain man, and revive my clan."

 _'Recommend session with Inoichi Asap, note to self. ',_ "Good to know. Now you, Sunshine." Kakashi pointed at Naruto.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. My likes…Sparing with Sasuke and Dai. My dislikes…I can't say. I suppose my only hobby would be cloud gazing. As for my goals..." Naruto stared past Kakashi as if he wasn't there.

Kakashi gave a worried frown, "You ok there?"

Naruto cocked his head slightly to the right. The boy who could not be older than twelve wore a haunted and weary face that Kakashi had only seen in veterans, "Isn't that a question that everyone asks themselves at some point? Every time I look at myself in the morning I wonder why I'm here."

Kakashi wondered if it was too late to refund his Genin team, _'So, I have a Mature adjusted adult, a fledgling avenger, and a ticking time bomb. I have my work cut out for me'_ , Kakashi mentally sighed.

"Ok here's what we're going to do, meet up at Training Ground Three tomorrow for your Genin test."

"Wait I thought we already passed our test at the academy?!" Dai blurted.

Kakashi eye smiled, "That was just the test to see if you had the potential to become Shinobi. The real test starts tomorrow"

The Jounin turned to leave, when he stopped, "I almost forgot. Don't eat breakfast, you'll just puke." the masked Jounin then disappeared in a puff of smoke before anyone could say anything.

"Wait!" Dai yelled

Sasuke just glared at the spot where the Jounin left and disappeared in a Fire Shunshin.

"This is going to be a wild ride" Naruto sighed.


	6. Chapter Six: The Bell Test

Fates Web

Chapter Six: The Bell Test

Author Notes: Hey everyone. Sorry for the late release. I caught a cold and it put me behind schedule.

III = Interlude/ character perspective switch.

 **Bold text** = Inner voice/ something important speaking.

There will be no crossovers, or characters from other shows.

* * *

Naruto walked down the street at a sedate pace. He had just left the academy and his new team.

When he arrived at his destination he groaned. _"*Sigh* ."_ Waiting outside the flower shop a girl in pink hair and red dress was animatedly talking to Ino Yamanaka.

He stopped in front in front of the shop as the two girls turned to face him.

"Huh Naruto?" Said the pink haired one.

Ino looked over and her features softened in understanding.

He nodded, "Haruno, Yamanaka", And stepped inside.

Yasaka Yamanaka, Ino's mother, was behind the counter.

The woman looked at him with sad eyes, "Naruto it's been so long", said Ino's mother.

He gave a faint smile, "It has, hasn't it?"

Yasaka pulled out a bouquet of white roses."

"It's been trying times for you, hasn't it dear?"

"It has."

He turned to leave and went to the one place he felt at peace.

III

Naruto walked out of his apartment, not bothering to lock his door. The villagers just broke it down anyway when they knew he was gone.

He picked his head up at the rising sun. He still had some time to kill before his chronically late Sensei would head over to their meet up.

Naruto decided to just wander around the village, ignoring the cold hate-filled glares from civilians and shinobi alike. If it weren't for the few precious people that cared for him, he most likely would have snapped and destroyed the village, or would have been killed in the process.

Meanwhile, a certain Uchiha with duck butt hair was desperately trying to shake off his horde of fangirls.

"Damnit can anyone help me?!" Sasuke yelped.

At this exact moment Sasuke came to a crossroad and noticed a flash of orange in his peripheral vision.

 _'Is that?'_

Sasuke smirked having an faint idea of what was about to transpire.

A shadow fell over the street making the horde of fangirls gasp. The shadow descended, smothering all those caught within in a fresh coat of bright orange paint.

"EEK!"

"Naruto!"

The aforementioned boy jumped down from a rooftop and landed next to the Uchiha avenger. Naruto gave the girls a cheeky smile.

"I thought I told you girls to stay away from my friend?"

"Oh yeah and what are you gonna do about it?" Asked one of the rabid fans.

He cackled, "Remember that time I dropped laxatives in Mizuki Sensei's food and he was missing for a week?"

The girls paled and promptly walked away.

Naruto turned to the people who were watching him, seeing none other than his new teammates; Dai and the Last Uchiha

"Hey guys", Naruto nodded to them.

"Wow, you totally scared those weird girls off" Dai said.

Sasuke offered a relieved look of gratitude. Mentally however he was checked out. _'What's your secret? How do you scare them off?'_

Naruto gave a close-eyed laugh, "It's nothing really!"

"We should head over to the training ground in case Kakashi is actually on time." Sasuke interrupted. They were already two hours past the time their Sensei had told them to arrive and he didn't want to piss the enigmatic man off more than necessary if he actually arrived when he said he would.

They traveled to the to the empty training grounds and walked into the middle of the small grassy field. Naruto sat down against an old Sakura tree and closed his eyes.

Sasuke took his place next to Naruto and began munching on a tomato.

Dai shot an inquiring at the fresh vegetable, "What do you think will happen if Kakashi catch's you?"

Sasuke scoffed, "He advised us not to eat anything. He never said we couldn't."

Dai smirked, "In that case..." Poof.

The smoke wafted away revealing a bento box and a riceball with a can of apple juice.

Sasuke watched in stunned disbelief as the boy practically inhaled the food.

 _'How does he eat so fast?'_

In seconds the food was gone and Dai burped loudly, rousing Naruto from his nap. Blue eyes peered from beneath blond locks with annoyance.

Sasuke focused on Naruto, "Did you eat anything?"

Naruto nodded, "I always eat before I leave."

Dai finishing down his juice guffawed, "You can always count on Naruto to have his morning ramen."

"Shut up Dai."

Minutes later a cloud of smoke erupted not too far away. The Genin jumped to their feet and took out Kunai.

Kakashi stepped out of the smoke with his favorite orange book in hand and waved, "Yo."

Naruto growled and pointed an accusing finger at Kakashi, "YOU'RE LATE!"

"Where were you?" Dai asked.

Kakashi eye smiled, "Well, I was on my way here when this little old lady needed help bringing her groceries home, and like the concerned citizen I am I had to help her, then some dastardly villain robbed a bank and I felt the need to intervene", said Kakashi enthusiastically.

Everyone just stared at the scarecrow in disbelief. "What kind of half assed excuse is that?" Naruto remarked.

Kakashi just smiled at them and showed them the clock he brought. He placed it on a tree stump in the middle of the training field. He turned to face his students, "Today's assignment is to take these bells away from me by noon," added Kakashi as he held out two silver bells and jingled them.

"The clock is set to noon. All you need to do to pass is to take these bells from me."

"But sensei, there are only two bells." Dai stated with a frown.

Kakashi nodded, "Only two of you will pass this test. The two that don't pass will be strapped to one of those poles." He gestured to one of the large wooden poles in the middle of the training ground. "And that person will have to watch the others eat." The masked man shrugged his shoulders.

"Then again, there's still the possibility that none of you will pass. In order to pass you must come at me with the intent to kill.

Dai gulped.

"Th-the intent to k-kill?"

Sasuke grit his teeth and nodded.

Naruto's eyes went blank and something dark flashed, before his face settled in a mask of goofish joy.

If Kakashi wasn't so experienced he would have missed it.

 _'What was that?'_

Sasuke glared and scowled at Kakashi as he set the timer for one hour, "Begin!"

The three Genin disappeared into the surrounding foliage and Kakashi smiled as his students were fairly well hidden.

 _'This might not be such a bore after all'_ He thought taking out his signature orange book and began reading.

Naruto watching this from the trees sweat-dropped. _'Is he seriously reading at a time like this?'_

Seven shuriken came flying out of the tree line. Kakashi lazily dodged the projectiles. One of them erupted in a poof of smoke, revealing Naruto.

"Got'Cha!"

Kakashi sighed, and here he was hoping Naruto would be smarter than this.

When Kakashi went to punch Naruto, the boy's backpack vanished in a hiss of smoke and revealed, another Naruto!

"Not so confident now huh?" The second Naruto jumped off his clones back and lunged for the Jounins throat.

"I have you!" Naruto rushed forward with a kunai in hand, but Kakashi disappeared and reappeared behind Naruto, the genin's wrist in his hand, "Don't get cocky kid. Although I guess it's good that you came at me with killing intent..."

Without any effort Kakashi slammed Naruto into the approaching clone and watched with a small amount of satisfaction as they 'clunked' and Naruto fell unconscious to the ground.

Kakashi snapped out of his thoughts to the sound of metal whistling through air. He gave an appreciative hum.

 _'Good Sasuke, but not good enough.'_

Kakashi turned around and deflected the hail of Kunai with his own. Sasuke appeared in a fire shunshin and engaged him in a fast paced Taijutsu exchange that surprised Kakashi.

"Impressive for a fresh Genin."

But it wasn't good enough. Kakashi fought off the boy with only one arm and continued reading his orange book to Sasukes frustration.

"Stop mocking me!" Sasuke yelled.

Kakashi sighed and shrugged, "Alright then, have it your way." Kakashi put his book away and faced Sasuke with a stern gaze.

Sasuke began to sweat slightly.

 _'What is this feeling?!'_

Kakashi vanished so fast Sasuke couldn't even see a blur.

Kakashi reappeared behind the last Uchiha, "Hidden Secret technique: A thousand years of death" Sasuke screamed as the Jounin jammed two pronged fingers up Sasukes rear and sent the boy flying.

"AAAAHHHH!"

Sasuke fell through the air and fell in a small stream with a loud _splash_.

The scream roused Naruto from his Kakashi induced Coma. Naruto groaned and his eyes flew open seeing the emasculated Uchiha fly through the air. _'Ouch'_

Kakashi made to take out his Icha Icha again, but jumped to the side as a lightning bolt impacted the ground he previously stood on. The smell of Ozone and burnt grass filled the air.

 _'Impressive, he waited for me to let my guard down before attempting to take me out in a surprise attack.'_

Dai stood a dozen meters away with hands held in the Snake sign, "Lightning Release: False Darkness", A bolt of lightning jumped from his hands and raced to find it's mark.

"A Genin knowing an elemental release?", Kakashi spoke, impressed.

Quickly the Elite ninja performed a series of hand signs, "Water Release: Water Wall" He opened his mouth and a deluge of water poured out, forming a rotating wall of water. The lightning impacted the rotating water and harmlessly dissipated.

Naruto a few meters away got to his feet, "Shadow Clone Jutsu", Hundreds of clones appeared in a huge cloud of smoke that hid everything from view."

Naruto mentally ordered his clones to begin an attack while he burrowed underground. The horde of Naruto's sprinted out of the smoke and began swarming their Sensei.

Kakashi seeing blinked, "How much chakra do you have?" He asked in disbelief.

Sasuke gawked as the Naruto swarm tried to engage Kakashi in a taijutsu battle. The Uchiha face-palmed and thought of a plan when he felt a presence behind him.

"Hey Bastard."

Sasuke turned around for a moment to see Naruto peaking up from a hole in the ground, "How about we team up? My clones can't hold him for long and we need those bells."

Sasuke looked skeptical, "Are you going to let Dai fail?"

"Nope!" He said without pause, "I have a plan but I need you to trust me ok."

Sasuke debated whether he should trust Naruto.

"Alright Dobe, but if this plan of yours gets me sent back to the academy I'm going to kill you." Sasuke begrudgingly agreed.

Naruto nodded once, "Ok, so here's the plan."

Kakashi dodged Dai's knife swipe and dispatched another Naruto doppelganger with practiced ease. His eyes grew heavy in boredom and he took out his favorite book once again. _'Oh Mitsuki you naughty girl.'_

Two shadows fell on the man and he tensed.

"Fire style: Fireball Jutsu" A fireball the size of a dodge ball projected from Sasukes pinched lips and eagerly flew at the masked Cyclops.

Automatically the seasoned veteran used Kawarimi and left a poor log to burn to cinders in his place.

"Another elemental jutsu?" When this was over Kakashi was going to have a few choice words with the academy staff. None of the boys files mentioned the level of skill they were displaying.

Naruto burst from the ground, "I have you now!" Hands reached for Kakashi's heels.

"Think again."

Naruto gasped as his sensei slipped through his hands like oil. _'No way'_ He thought.

"Kai!" He yelled while making the RAM sign. His vision wavered before it was replaced with a maddening Taijutsu frenzy as Dai and Sasuke laid into the Jounin. Each time one faltered the other moved to cover each other.

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask in pride.

Naruto barreled at Kakashi and tried to punch him, but Kakashi slipped under his fist and stood behind him, all while reading, "Oh, you broke out of my genjutsu? Maybe you aren't hopeless after all."

Naruto growled and made to retaliate when Dai held him back, "Oi, don't let him get to you. He's trying to get you angry."

Naruto stopped struggling, "You're right. I got careless."

Sasuke appeared next to him and gave a small chortle, "Tell me what's new."

The two began arguing and Kakashi made up his mind. He had seen enough.

"Ok that's enough."

Everyone stopped as Kakashi spoke. The masked man cast them a proud eye, "You all pass."

Everyone's jaw dropped. Dai stuttered, "But we didn't get the bells."

Kakashi brought out the bells, "You never needed them. This test was designed to test your teamwork. "

"Does that mean we are a team now?" Dai asked.

"Yes, you all impressed me today."

Naruto wrapped his arms around Dai and Sasuke, pulling them in for a group hug.

"We did it guys! We're officially Genin!"

Everyone smiled and cheered. Even the normally brooding Sasuke developed a faint grin.

III

When Naruto came to his usual spot he stiffened.

Another figure stood ahead in front of a row of grave stones, except this one was special. The man turned and fixed him with a stare that could bring lesser men to their knees.

"Kyuubi Boy" The man uttered the word with such hatred that it sent chills down his spine.

Naruto scrunched his face in anger, "Yeah it's me. What are you doing here?"

Pale eyes glared at him, "Watch how you talk to a clan head boy, lest someone rip out that tongue of yours."

Naruto bit the inside of his cheek. _'Screw you.'_

Hiashi Hyuuga looked down on him with a sneer. The clan head had seen better days. Dried sweat and grim covered his skin in a light sheen that reflected in the soft moonlight. The man's once well kept hair now had streaks of grey, and ran in long oiled locks down to his waist in an unkempt mess. Dark purple and black bags hung under the mans eyes, and his manic orbs fixed on the Uzumaki with vitriolic fervor.

The clan head growled, "I told you to never come here again ...demon."

Naruto couldn't help it. A sneer split his face, "And I told you to shove it up your ass."

In a flash Naruto was on his back with pale sweaty hands around his neck. "AAHK!"

Hiashi looked down on the choking boy with a manic laugh, "She was so close, I could see her." The sickly man leaned in until he was inch's away from Naruto's face, "Then you got her killed." He whispered.

Naruto tried to speak but his constricted airway prevented that. Hiashi smiled darkly, "I would have saved her if you didn't get in my way, now die!"

"Hiashi stop!" Came the commanding voice of the Hokage.

Naruto gasped for breath as the weight around his neck disappeared.

Hiashi looked at the irate Hokage with derision, "Hiruzen, what a surprise."

Hiruzen looked at the Hyuuga clan head with rage, "Don't pretend like I didn't see you choking Naruto, and that's Hokage-Sama to you, _boy_."

Naruto gulped. Gone were the soft understanding eyes and smile of his Jiji. The kindly old man who rocked him to sleep at night looked ready to kill. A heavy pressure weighed down on them and Hiashi reached for his throat as an invisible pressure choked the life from him.

Suddenly the man realized what he had just done and began sweating, "I a-am very sorry for irrational behavior Hokage-Sama." The man bowed on his hands and knees.

The Sandaime looked at the man with disgust, "Get out of my sight before I kill you."

Naruto watched as the Hyuuga head disappeared in shunshin, but not before he sent one last glare at Naruto.

He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Thank's Jiji that was close"

The Sandaime leaned down to help him up, "Are you ok?" Worried eyes checked over him and hovered around his neck.

He nodded. Besides the dark purple bruise forming on his neck he would be ok.

The elder sighed in relief, "I warned you about going near that man."

"I know but I just wanted to take him down a peg." He pouted.

"Be that as it may I need you to keep your distance." Hiruzen looked at where the Hyuuga had left, "Hiashi isn't the man he used to be. Since sweet little Hinata passed the man has become unhinged." The Sandaime turned back to face him.

Naruto gulped, "I promise I'll stay away, but only because I don't want to give you more paperwork."

The old man smiled, "Perhaps one of these days I will let you help me with that paperwork." The man said with amusement.

"What, nuh-uh!" He shook his head, "I hate paperwork!"

"*Chuckle* Let's head to Ichiraku's", The Sandaime gave a grandfatherly pat on the head, "What say you?"

Flames appeared in the Uzumaki's eyes at the mention of the food of the gods.

"Yes, Ramen!"

The two left the cemetery laughing and sharing their latest stories.

Hiruzen laughed deeply as Naruto spoke of his new sensei and his unique behavior, _'It seems the will of fire is still strong in you Naruto. I can only hope you do not let life's tragedy's extinguish the good in you, unlike someone else I know.'_


	7. Chapter Seven: Potential

Fates Web

Chapter Seven: Potential

Author Notes: Hello everyone and happy Friday. I worked especially hard to get this chapter out for the weekend, so, please read and enjoy.

III = Interlude/ character perspective switch.

 **Bold text** = Inner voice/ something important speaking.

There will be no crossovers, or characters from other shows.

* * *

Hinata lowered herself on a web and softly landed in front of the Tsuchikage's desk. Onoki looked up from his paperwork, and with a heavy sigh he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Four Anbu appeared around her with swords held to her vitals.

"Dammit Hinata! A little more warning next time."

Hinata just shrugged. "You called?"

Onoki glared at the little upstart, "Usually people take the door. To add on that how did you get in here?"

Hinata blinked and faced away with a whistle ,"I dunno."

The elder man just rubbed his face and leaned back into his hair. The Tsuchikage snapped his fingers and the Anbu surrounding her vanished.

"Hinata, take a seat."

"Ok."

The elderly man pulled out a drawer and tapped a red button. Arcane seals lit up and Hinata followed the squiggly lines that covered the entire room, "There, now we have some privacy. I have several complaints about you and your actions today."

 _'I bet you do.'_ Hinata recalled what this could be about, "And what would those be?"

The Tsuchikage sifted through some papers. "Let's see...Says here you killed two Shinobi and threatened bodily harm to several bystanders... in addition to eating them in front of said bystanders."

"My spider summons overheard those two conspiring to sell village secrets. I did the right thing and terminated the threat." Hinata's lavender eyes began glowing softly under her hood.

"Correct, and the only reason you're not rotting in a cell is because those spiders conveniently found a stash of incriminating letters under their floorboards."

"Exactly!"

"Indeed...Anyway, just tell me what happened."

"...It happened like this."

 **Flashback**

Hinata sleuthed through the dark night. Intermittent lamp posts illuminated the streets in flickering lights, like fireflies under a starry sky.

Her target walked at a brisk pace down the dark city streets. He nervously glanced at the corners of his vision. _'Thump, Thump, Thump'_ The man's heart began beating faster as it sensed the presence of an apex predator', Hinata licked her lips.

It was time to eat.

The sturdy built man entered a warehouse located in the industrial sector of the village and only the occasional late night jogger or night worker graced these streets. The man entered the building and she could sense his heart slow down. The human thought he was safe inside his metal can.

 _How foolish._

Small wolf spiders crawled through the cracks and spaces of the warehouse. Moving onto the roof Hinata pressed herself against the thin metal exterior, and listened.

"I swear someone is following me!" Said a frantic voice she recognized as belonging to her target.

A second voice angrily spoke, "You idiot. What do you think will happen if those Iwa nin catch us? If you blow our cover Lord Mizukage will kill us, don't you get that?!"

 _'So these are Kirigakure spies'_ , Her breath hitched and eyes dilated, "I wonder how a Kiri man tastes?"

The two men were talking when the wall exploded and a horde of monster spiders flew inside.

"HOLY SHIT!"

Hundreds of wolf spiders covered the screaming men and Hinata held out a leg, now disconnected from its owner, like a drumstick.

She savored the flavor bursting in her mouth, "Tastes like Calamari"

Not so far away a few late night workers ran way screaming.

"Ooops."

 **Flashback End**

"And that's how it went down."

"Why were you so hell-bent on eating them?" Onoki asked.

"Do you _really_ have to ask that question?"

"…You know what, forget it." The elderly Kage threw his hands in the air, "I hope your happy about giving me a week's worth of paperwork to deal with."

"Sorry."

"...Just go."

Hinata nodded and turned to leave, but then looked at Onoki over her shoulder with a sly smile, "If you ever need someone to do some _messy_ cleanup give me a summons."

The Tsuchikage only had one thought running through his mind at that time, _'Why did I ever let her join my village?'_

Hinata strolled down the village streets with a scorching smirk.

Hinata registered the curious eyes of the villagers that followed her hidden figure. Some Shinobi who by luck or skill could see through the shadows of her hood, gasped and stood in awe of her exotic features and skin.

It was then that a certain insect decided to make itself known.

"Kurotsuchi" Hinata turned around to face her smiling teammate.

"Why are you here?"

The cocky girl laughed, "I'm looking for a sparring partner. Don't say you heard it from me, but rumor has it there might be a big mission on the table soon, and I want to be in top shape for it."

She was in the middle of shopping. This really couldn't wait? Hinata scowled, "Where are we doing this?"

"You know I always hang out in the Dune Desert. It's north of here."

"Yes, how could I ever forget?" Hinata said sarcastically.

Sometime later they appeared in training ground 77, or more well known as the Dune Desert. The training ground was a rocky desert that stretched for over thirty miles in all directions and was mostly mountainous terrain with large rock dunes.

"Let's get this over with", Hinata took off her cloak and allowed her tentacles to stretch out. The sun glinted off her black chitin.

Kurotsuchi laughed, "You're good but I have mastered three nature transformations and even combined two to create Lava Release. Don't run home to mommy when I beat you black and blue."

Lilac eyes turned baleful, "Is that so?" A dangerous tone entered her voice.

Kurotsuchi's cocky smirk faltered for a minute, then it returned and she began going through hand signs.

"Let's do this! 'Earth Release: Golem Technique.'"

A Golem standing ten feet in height crawled from the ground and roared.

"That is indeed impressive."

Hinata jumped to her left as a stone fist impacted the ground and almost turned her into a purple splat against the earth.

Two webs shot from her wrist and Hinata jumped in a mid air cork screw behind the Golems. Head.

"This is fun." Hinata grabbed the Golem by the head and with a wrench she twisted it's head off.

Kurotsuchi still standing in her previous position gave a whistle. "That must have taken inhuman strength. I didn't even sense you using chakra to enhance your muscles. Are you sure you aren't a Senju?"

The thought of her being a Senju was as ridiculous as it was hilarious.

"Sorry Little Kuro, but I'm just a little icky bitty spider." She sing songed.

 _'That should do it.'_

Kurotsuchi's eyes bulged as the girl shook in fury. "You dare mock me."

"Yep."

"Lava Release: Quicklime Jutsu."

A grayish white fluid spewed from the Kunoichi's mouth. Hinata shot a web towards a large dune and let it pull her to safety. The quicklime landed at Hinata's previous destination and melted the ground until a large circular crater was left in its place.

Hinata seeing this gasped, "That could have killed me!"

Kurotsuchi cackled, "Serves you right, bitch." The Kunoichi wasn't slow on her offense, "Earth Release: Rock Clone Jutsu."

A dozen Kurotsuchi clones rose from the rocks surrounding them and peered at Hinata with confident smirks and nasty glares that promised pain.

Hinata slipped into a Taijutsu stance that she had created herself. It combined two different styles that Elise had taught her to make the perfect style.

The first style was called the Gentle fist style, which focused on defense and countering. The main purpose of the style was to close the user's tenketsu, or chakra nodes. Chakra was channeled through tenketsu to use jutsu and when closed could render the limb unusable. The Gentle Fist could was very rigid and most users proficient in this style were born with an earth affinity.

The second style was called the Spider style. This style is extremely offensive and relies on fast strikes that utilize aerobatics and a naturally agile body. For a spider like herself with a body that utilized hydraulics instead of a blood pressure system, she was naturally faster and stronger than any ordinary human. With her eight limbs she could leap higher and faster than any mammal had a right to be. This translated to a blitzkrieg taijutsu style that relied on pure offense.

Hinata, with help from her mother, had combined the best of these two styles to create the WidowMaker Style. The style she had created was savagely brutal in violence. With an emphasis on Ripping and Tearing her foes apart it used positioning, speed, and precision to strike opponents with an unrelenting fury. When in human form she had access to eight limbs in the form of four bladed tentacles, two spear tipped legs, and two claws that could cut through solid rock like butter. It's defense wasn't anything to joke about either. Utilizing the gentle fists ability to deflect weapons with chakra tipped fingers, Hinata could deflect wind or lightning charged weaponry with only her hands. The WidowMaker style had its faults. If faced with an enemy she needed to take alive she just might end up accidentally killing them instead.

By combining both styles Hinata had gained a fearsome style that would make her a nightmare to go against without a weapon.

Hinata used her extra limbs to latch on to a rock wall covering a dune, and launch herself at a near imperceptible speed. The rock clone couldn't even track the Spider girl as an armored fist blew apart it's head in a dusty spray.

Kurotsuchi glowered at her dead clone. _'I can't even track her when she leaps like that.'_ The Iwa girl watched Hinata stop, and leap off another rock wall. She noticed the pale eyed girl needed to momentarily stop each time she landed. This could be her way to winning this not so friendly spar.

Hinata huffed as she destroyed another clone and prepared to once again leap off a dune. Suddenly large chains formed from the rock underneath her, and grabbed hold of her tentacles and legs.

"What?!"

She turned her head to find a grinning Kurotsuchi standing a small distance away. The girl held her hands together in a binding seal.

"Earth Release: Binding chains" She said smugly.

Hinata tensed her muscles and tried pulling against the chains. _'Clank'_ The chains held fast. _'Well that didn't work.'_ It seemed her teammate was more skilled then she gave her credit for.

She leveled her gaze to her teammate, "It looks like you got me."

"That's not all."

"Earth Release: Dropping Lid" A large boar shaped lid formed in the air above Hinata and dropped down, trapping her inside.

The black haired girl panted in exhaustion. She had used over half her chakra just now, but it was all worth it now that she had trapped her snooty teammate. She walked over to the earthen prison with her few remaining clones.

Kurotsuchi couldn't help it, she laughed, "Not so brave now huh? I win Hinata."

Deep inside the fifteen foot thick rock prison, Hinata stood with arms and legs splayed open. Dozens of stone chains locked her limbs in uncomfortable positions and kept her from taking advantage of her monstrous strength.

Red and Lavender orbs scanned it's prison with not frustration like one would expect of someone trapped, but entertainment.

"Oh Kurotsuchi, You think this is the peak of my physical prowess? I think It's time I started using chakra."

Hinata allowed her dark purple chakra to trickle down from her core and flow through her veins. With a miniscule movement she snapped the large chains holding her.

Outside the dome the laughing short haired girl cut herself off as a spike of chakra appeared inside the stone prison.

"No way?" She whispered.

The stone structure exploded in a blast wave that sent the Tsuchikage's granddaughter hurling dozens of feet. The rattled girl failed to get to her feet as the ground tremored as if an earthquake was shaking the land.

Hinata walked through a cloud of dust and falling pebbles to find a pale and shaken girl.

"I hope you don't think I'm actually a Senju?" She said amused.

"H-how?" Kurotsuchi asked.

Hinata held up a finger to her chin, "Did you know an ant can lift one hundred times its own weight?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" The girl snapped.

Hinata sighed, "Well if you let me finish." The girl glowered but stayed quiet.

Hinata suppressed a cocky grin, "As I was saying. My clan has inherited traits of spiders you could say, and while we are not as strong as an ant we are much stronger than a normal human."

Black eyes popped open in realization, "That's it! You have a natural strength advantage over regular humans. Chakra boosts a person's base muscle strength. You must have strength of ten shinobi put together."

"Yes, it's not as impressive as the Sannin Tsunade, but it's more than enough to overpower anyone beside an elite jounin like your father."

"I...give up." The defeated Kunoichi slumped over.

"Hey now" Dainty hands encircled the girl in a hug. Hinata squeezed the crestfallen girl gently, "It's ok to lose once in awhile."

Kurotsuchi glanced at the sympathetic Hyuuga. "I guess."

Hinata smiled. She knew the Iwa girl's pride would take a long time to recover after getting beaten so effortlessly.

Letting go of the Kunoichi, Hinata donned her cloak and made to leave. She turned to face the beaten girl, "I'm heading over to this Pocky Shop. Want in?"

Kurotsuchi looked down at her beaten form and scoffed, "If you're paying."

Purple lips curved upwards.

III

The next week Team Kitsuchi stood in front of the Tsuchikage.

Kurotsuchi gave a cheeky grin, "Team Kitsuchi reporting another D-rank mission successful."

"Good" The elderly man looked through his paperwork, "Hm, It seems you have completed over twenty D-ranked this week. Perhaps it is about time I assigned your team a C-rank."

The Genin perked up. Akatsuchi cheered, "No more D-ranks, finally."

Kurotsuchi bonked her brother on the head, "You idiot, don't disrespect the leader of our village like that."

Hinata remained tight lipped but her eyes shined with amusement at her portly teammates antics.

Onoki massaged his forehead, "Kids these days." The Kage spotted a scroll and opened it. The man's eyes quickly scanned over the contents and he closed it with an exaggerated sigh.

"Pack up kids, you're heading out for a long journey."

"Where are we headed Father?" Asked their Jounin-Sensei.

Onoki seemed all the years of his age, "You are heading to..."

* * *

Naruto crouched lowly as he quietly watched his target drink some of the stream water. Naruto fiddled with the small microphone that was attached to him, "Target Oni has been located."

Kakashi's voice came over the radio transmitter after a minute, "Engage and Capture on your command. Dai and Sasuke, are you in position?"

"Ready and waiting." Came Dai's hyped voice.

"Quiet down!"

Naruto winched as the Uchiha yelled through the radio. If Sasuke was cranky it usually meant he was long ready by now.

"On your order Naruto."

Naruto clenched his teeth when the target suddenly matched sights with him, "Target is aware! I repeat target is aware! Take it down!"

"I'm going in!"

"Dobe if my outfit gets ruined beca-."

Naruto jumped down and attacked.

The target sprinted away and dodged every tackle and grab Sasuke and Dai fired.

Finally, after many tears and blood were shed Sasuke had managed to get the little monster in a hold. Sasuke held out the brown cat with a red bowtie on its right ear.

The last Uchiha smirked, "Target acquired."

Minutes later the exhausted team seven entered the Hokage tower and presented the cat to the client.

Naruto winched as the troublesome cat was smothered in the hugs and kisses of its owner, Madam Shijimi. After the grateful wife of the daimyo gave the team their pay, they went upstairs to get their next mission from the Hokage.

Team Kakashi walked through the doors of the missions office and stood in front of their old sensei, Iruka, and the third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. The latter looked at them and smiled, his eyes twinkling in mirth, "My, already done with the Tora retrieval mission? That must have set a record. Let me check ... I might still have some D-Ranks fo-"

"NO!"

The whole room turned, and to everyone's surprise it was Sasuke who had spoken out. Sasuke scowled, "Enough D-ranks. I want a C-rank mission. I'm tired of cutting lawns and babysitting kids. I need to become stronger so I can get my revenge!"

Naruto and Dai stood off to the side silently, but agreed with Sasuke in their minds.

A vein bulged on Iruka's head, "You brat! Show some respect for your el-" But he was cut off by the Sandaime chuckling.

"Very Well. Let me see what I can find."

Sasuke exhaled and his muscles relaxed. As long as he could get stronger he was happy.

The old Sarutobi scoured through a stack of scrolls, "I do have a low C-Rank mission left. Kakashi, do you think they can handle it?"

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head and hummed, feeling his students begging eyes on him, "Well... They are somewhat arrogant..."

Their heads tilted down.

Kakashi eye smiled, "But..."

Naruto looked up with hopeful eyes.

"I think they can Hokage-sama, they're more than ready." He finished with his usual drawl, and the three Genin sighed in relief.

Hiruzen nodded once, the kindly smile still on his face, "Alright, your mission is to protect a bridge builder as you escort him to his home in the Land of Waves. It'll take many hours to travel to the Land of Waves since you will be escorting him, so pack accordingly."

The group nodded in unison. Naruto shared a foxy smile with Dai and the two bumped fists. Sasuke leaned against the wall seeming less broody than normal.

The Hokage gave them a reassuring nod, "Alright, time for you to meet who you'll be escorting. Come in!"

The door opened to reveal an aging man in his fifties who wore a straw hat and reeked of alcohol and dried sweat. Naruto retched as the man's body odor assaulted his enhanced nose.

The elder Kage peered at the puking Uzumaki with amusement, "This is Tazuna. You are to protect him at all costs."

Tazuna laughed, "What's the deal? These are the ones who are supposed to guard me?" The man pointed at Naruto, "This kid looks like he just got done being potty trained."

Dai near fell over and began laughing, Sasuke just smirked and Kakashi continued reading his orange book.

"Hey! I'm gonna be Hokage one day, you old geezer! So you better respect me!"

"As if an idiot like you could become Hokage!" Tazuna pointed a finger in Naruto's face mockingly and the latter's face flushed with anger as he rushed forward with his fist reared back.

Naruto was almost upon the old man when Kakashi grabbed the back of his collar and dragged him back nonchalantly, "Our job is to protect him, not trying to kill him."

Naruto just fumed silently and stood next to his teammates as the Hokage quieted them down, "Enough, your mission starts tomorrow morning at ten AM sharp. Do not be late." Hiruzen gave them a serious look, but an especially fierce one at their resident scarecrow, "Dismissed."

The group went their separate ways and Naruto bid them farewell. He would need to restock well if he wanted to cruise through this mission comfortably.


	8. Chapter Eight: The Wave Mission

Fates Web

Chapter Eight: The Wave Mission

Author Notes: Feast your eyes on this Saturday chapter. I will be taking some time to do some story boarding. I won't be updating until next weekend.

III = Interlude/ character perspective switch.

 **Bold text** = Inner voice/ something important speaking.

There will be no crossovers, or characters from other shows.

* * *

Walking around the town at night is something that just never grew old. He enjoys it the most when he needs to get some information. A figure with a beige cloak and an Oni mask walked down the dark streets of Konoha. The mask was a deep scarlet color with a wide grinning face that gleamed with sharp teeth and blood red eyes.

Walking down the concrete sidewalk he came across a bar popular for its policy of catering to Shinobi.

Entering the building he takes a seat where a few people are talking. Occupying an empty seat he leans down while a woman is asking if he wants anything. "Fire Whisky" replied the _presumed_ Anbu.

When his drink arrived he sipped the beverage while looking around. The night was picking up and more patrons were entering.

The masked Oni taps on the table to get the bartender attention.

"How can I help you sir?" Asked the graying man with an apron.

"Rumor has it that the village pariah has graduated. Is that true?"

"Do you live under a rock?" asked the Bartender. The man shakes, informing him he has been away on a long mission. "The rumor mill has it that the little brat graduated and is on Hatake Kakashi's team. " said the scruffy man.

The masked Oni froze.

" _What?_ "

The silver haired bartender scowls, "If you want any more info I want my due."

Without hesitation the Masked man dropped a stack of Ryo that made the bar man raise an eye. The barman looked at the bills on the table and took them.

The stranger smiled, "So what can you tell me".

"Don't say where you heard it from, but the kids teammates are Sasuke Uchiha and some monkey from Kumo." The Bartender sneered near the end.

The Anbu listened to what the man had to share. Surprisingly he knew much about the goings-on in the village, from the Civilian councils latest scandals, to the rumored security around the village's 'demon child.'

"So you heard from Sayako that the Hokage placed two squads of Anbu to guard a mere child?"

The bartender nodded and renewed his conversation.

When the barman finished he looked up only to realize the man had disappeared. When questioned by the Anbu later, he would only recall a flash of red.

(Meanwhile, In The Hokage's Office)

The Sandaime Hokage's face set into a grim mask that exaggerated the wrinkles and stress lines of his face. He had seen most of what had happened, up to the part where the masked Oni began asking about the last Uchiha.

But then his crystal ball started to glow red. The image in the ball looked like it was being consumed by black flames, and the Hokage began to panic.

"What in Rikudo's name is going on?", he questioned.

Suddenly the face of someone he knew all too well appeared in the orb and it laughed in _that_ awful voice, making the aged leader cringe. Then the face disappeared and the orb cracked, then exploded.

Sarutobi's pipe dropped to the floor as he looked at the place where the ball used to be in horror. He knew all too well who's face that belonged to, and even if he didn't, that Rikudo forsaken laugh was unmistakable. It was definitely _him_.

"Anbu", He said gravely.

Six Anbu dropped down and kneeled.

"Alert the barrier team to be on high alert for any discrepancies, but do not let on that anything is amiss." He said with gravel in his voice.

"Yes, Hokage-Sama!"

The Anbu dispersed, leaving the aged Kage alone.

If _he_ was making his move so soon then Hiruzen would need to answer in kind. For now, he would leave the issue alone, until he had the forces to combat any unforeseen variables.

The Hokage's thoughts went to a certain container of a bijuu. It was best that Naruto would be out of the village for a time. With _that_ man lurking around who knows what could happen.

His eyes went over to a picture of the Yondaime on the wall, "The past never stops haunting us, does it?"

The picture did not answer and the old man was left to his thoughts.

* * *

Naruto arrived at the village gates at the crack of dawn. Sasuke and Dai were already there.

"YEASSSSS! It's my first time out of the village! I'm so excited!" He threw his arms out struggling to contain his energy.

Tazuna stopped sipping his Sake for a moment as a bead of sweat dripped down his forehead, "F-First time out of the village?"

Sasuke gave a suspicious look to the old bridge builder, eyes narrowing in contemplation, "Is that a problem, old man?"

Tazuna quickly shook his head, causing Sasuke to grow more suspicious.

Soon enough Kakashi arrived. The masked Jounin waved at them, "Yo."

Naruto cheered, "Kakashi-Sensei lets hurry up and leave!"

"Wow there!" Kakashi held up his hands.

Kakashi's one eye crinkled, indicating his smile, "I need to check with the client first."

All eyes turned to Tazuna.

The man took a large swig. "I'm ready to leave."

"Good, let's go then."

(Some time later.)

After traveling for two to three hours Naruto noticed a small puddle ahead.

 _'That's odd. It hasn't rained for weeks.'_ He thought.

Suddenly, two blurs shot out of the small puddle. They both had long, black hair and wore metal claws on one hand that gleamed with a sick sheen, a spiked chain was connected to each of their claws, keeping them connected.

They had Hidden Mist headbands on with a scratch crossing the symbol out, and the larger of the two had two horns on each side of his headband, while the shorter one only had a single horn in the center. They both wore gas masks and bandages on the bottom half of their faces, leaving only their eyes exposed.

Chains wrapped around Kakashi and _squeezed_. The Jounin exploded and his blood was all over the ground; and his flesh had been scattered about.

"One down."

"SENSEI!" Naruto screamed.

Sasuke moved and stood in a protective manner in front of Tazuna while Naruto was frozen.

Naruto couldn't move.

 _'... Demon'_

 _"... Murderer'_

 _'You killed him!'_

Naruto bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. This was a real fight with ninjas, not some civilian with a grudge. Kakashi was dead and they were on their own. _'Move Damnit!'_ He screamed.

The men chuckled and gave the trio menacing looks.

Dai was the first one to regain his bearings and move against the enemy Shinobi.

"Lightning Release: False Darkness." A bolt of lightning shot from Dai's open palm and connected with the chain connecting the brothers. The two spasmed and howled in pain, but quickly shook off the shock and charged the white haired child.

Dai ran to engage Gozu and ducked a swipe of the Chunins metal claw. Using chakra to enhance his arm he shoved a fist into the Nuke nins solar plexus.

The older man's eyes bulged and he kneeled over, puking his stomach contents.

"Gozu!" Meizu charged at the completely open Dai and raised his claw to tear open the boys throat.

Naruto broke out of his trance realizing his friend was about to get torn in two. With a yell he withdrew a kunai and jumped in front of his friend. He barely deflected the sharp claw from cutting his arm off.

"You little motherfu-"

Naruto threw a handful of dirt in the man's eyes, and to keep his dirty fighting style in character he then kicked the man in the gonads.

"ARGHH!"

The ninja crumpled in a crying heap and cradled his family jewels. Gaining a slight reprieve Naruto checked the long gash running down his arm. On further inspection, he noticed a dark purple liquid dripping down his hand. He cursed and checked the downed ninja's claws, seeing the same liquid running down them.

 _'Poison...'_

The two NukeNin slowly rose to their feet and made to attack, when a gloved hand cuffed them unconscious. The four looked over to see Kakashi leaning against a nearby tree with his orange book out, "Miss me?" he drawled.

Naruto gaped, "H-how?"

They looked over to the dead Kakashi, only to see a splintered log.

Kakashi crinkled his eye in a smile, "Kawarimi is a very useful skill."

Kakashi moved to begin tying the downed ninja to a tree, "You three did well." Kakashi said congratulating the team, "Sasuke you protected the client and kept him safe. Dai you reacted timely and stunned the enemy, giving Naruto enough time to help you", Kakashi turned to face Naruto, "Naruto you did well against a superior opponent, and you protected your comrade, but you froze up and almost got Dai killed."

Naruto lowered his head in shame.

"But why didn't you help us?" Dai asked the question all of them were wondering.

Kakashi hummed, "I needed to see whether these two were targeting us or the client."

The Scarecrow turned his head to fix Tazuna with a serious gaze, "Something you want to tell us Tazuna?"

Tazuna sweated bullets and dropped to his knees, "I'm so sorry!"

Tears dripped down the man's cheeks, "There's a man named Gato after me. My country is in ruin right now. If I can build my bridge then trade will start coming in and we can break his stranglehold over us."

"Gato? As in Gato of the Gato company?"

The teary eyed man nodded, "Yeah, that bastard took over my country and makes us pay ridiculous taxes. If we don't pay up he kills us or worse. If I can complete the bridge my country will be free of his rule."

Dai grinded his teeth together, "Tazuna, I swear I'll help you, even if no one else will."

Naruto moved to stand beside his friend, "So will I!"

Kakashi turned to Sasuke. "What do you think? Fighting enemy ninja is beyond the scope of this mission. Should we return to Konoha?"

Sasuke snorted, "As if I'd chicken out now."

Tazuna breathed out a sigh of relief. Maybe there was hope for Wave after all.

Kakashi clapped his hands. "It's agreed then. We continue the mission. Before we move on however, I think Naruto needs some medical attention."

Everyone turned to Naruto, who looked unhealthily pale.

"Darn it."

III

"Hey Mr. Tazuna, when are we getting to the land of...what was it again?"

Sasuke scowled, "Naruto can you at least try to remember important details?"

Naruto scratched his head, "It was something like land of waters? No, land of w-"

"Land of Waves" Came Tazuna's irritated voice.

"That's it!"

Sasuke groaned. Why couldn't his knuckle headed teammate take this mission seriously. It's like he took a complete 180 in personality at times. He could be cold and ruthless one minute and be a complete idiot the next. He remembered the blond kid freezing in place with eyes that no one their age should have, except he knew those eyes.

 _It was like staring in the mirror._

He was starting to think there was more to his teammate than he previously thought.

Over with Naruto the boy was chewing his lip and occasionally glancing at his hands. _'Blood covered palms'_ A voice whispered in his ear, _'Murderer'_

"No, no, they attacked first. I'm not like _them._ "

Kakashi gave his mumbling student a wide berth and made a mental note to get in contact with Inoichi when they returned from the mission, if they returned. He had a bad feeling about this.

"Dobe" Sasuke let out an insufferable sigh, "Will you get over your hang up and focus on the mission."

Naruto bristled, "Shut up!"

Sasuke gave the blond a glare, "Maybe if you stop whining I will"

"Why you!" Naruto lunged at his teammate, who dodged and gave the former a sneer.

As they were tumbling around, acting like children, Kakashi idly pondered what life would be like if he hadn't been forced to take on a team.

"What was that?" Dai threw a kunai into the bush's ahead.

Naruto and Sasuke stopped their fighting at the unknown threat. Kakashi approached the bush and peeled it back to reveal a snow white rabbit.

Dai held up a hand to his mouth, "Hell yeah! We're eating well tonight."

Naruto eyed the rabbit with a perplexed look, as if dissecting a puzzle.

Kakashi dead panned. Was food all these kids thought about?

 _'Wait... It's coat is out of season.'_ Kakashi thought.

"Get down!" Naruto yelled, having realized what was happening a second before the Jounin.

A large cleaver flew through the air and dug several inch's into the trees bark. A tall man with light-grayish skin and bandages covering his mouth appeared on the blades handle.

The man wore black shinobi pants and a sleeveless black shirt, open toed sandals, and cowhide armguards.

Naruto gulped at the fearsome killing intent the man radiated.

Things just became dicey.


	9. Chapter Nine: The Wave Mission Part 2

Fates Web

Chapter Nine: The Wave Mission Part 2

Author Notes: Most of the wave arc is going to be centered from Naruto's perspective. Hinata will get plenty of screen time as well, so don't worry about that. The story won't deviate too terribly from canon until the Chunin exams are underway.

I want to apolgize if this chapter isn't really up to standard. I've been feeling a bit of the blues lately and it has me feeling creatively impaired.

III = Interlude/ character perspective switch.

 **Bold text** = Inner voice/ something important speaking.

There will be no crossovers, or characters from other shows.

* * *

Zabuza was standing on the handle of his sword, the weapon currently embedded in a tall tree. "No wonder the demon brothers failed. Konohagakure's famous Sharingan No Kakashi, so we finally meet..."

Sasuke's eyes widened as he heard the name, _'Sharingan...? Impossible...'_

"Momochi Zabuza... The Demon of the Bloody Mist." Kakashi returned.

Killing intent flooded the clearing and the genin froze. Naruto trembled as the bandaged nukenin gave a bloodthirsty glare towards them.

Sasuke trembled. 'This is the power of a Jounin!' He thought. Unable to endure the pressure any longer the boy lifted a kunai to his throat.

Sasuke offered Naruto a resigned smile, Naruto just looked at him in horror before grabbing a kunai and stabbing it into the back of his hand, and glared at Sasuke, "I-I won't run! I won't freeze up! With this kunai, I will protect the old man... I will protect all of you!" Naruto dug the kunai deeper into his hand, and closes his eyes, and grits his teeth.

The terrifying aura choking the group of genin disappeared as Naruto's words of encouragement countered the enemy ninja's intent. Sasuke took in deep gulps of breath and Dai fell to his knees in a heap.

Everyone watched Zabuza take the giant cleaver out of the tree with one hand

Zabuza chuckled, "Well spoken runt. I can tell you are the only one with balls on your team." The man hoisted his blade over his shoulder and glared, "Let's see if you can back up those words."

"Everyone, stay back! This isn't someone who you can fight. He's on an entirely different level from those other ninja you fought," Kakashi warned.

Dai, Sasuke, and Naruto all immediately surrounded Tazuna in a triangle formation while Kakashi stood ready to engage Zabuza in combat. The man lifted his Konoha headband to reveal a red eye with three tomoe surrounding the pupil. Naruto heard Sasuke gasp lightly and turned to see him with his eyes wide open in confusion.

Kakashi turned to Sasuke and nodded, before he charged towards Zabuza, who blocked using his Kubikiribocho.

"I'm sure you already know why I'm here. But before I kill the old man, I'll let him watch me kill you and your little genin," Zabuza said as he disappeared in a flicker, taking his sword with him.

Kakashi warned them, "Naruto, Sasuke, Dai! Protect the client!"

"Tsch, where did he go?" Dai said as a unnaturally thick mist rolled in. In front of him, Kakashi's outline disappeared, obscured in white chakra-laced fog.

"The spine, the pharynx , the pulmonary artery, the liver, the jugular veins, the clavicle, the kidney, and of course the heart... Which one should I go for?"

Naruto watched in helpless horror as Zabuza vanished out of sight and then appeared behind Sasuke, and in front of Tazuna, breaching their defenses.

"It's over brats!" Zabuza raised his Zanbato to cleave through the group of frightened children.

Zabuza lurched forward as a kunai impaled him from behind.

Zabuza glared, before his form turned to water and splashed over the group.

Naruto's eyes widened a small fraction. He watched as Zabuza reappeared behind Kakashi, his giant sword severing Kakashi's neck.

"Sensei!"

Right as Zabuza slit Kakashi's throat, it dissipated into a puddle on the ground and another Kakashi appeared behind Zabuza.

"It's over, Zabuza."

"I wonder about that..."

Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi again and held his sword up.

The nuke-nin swung his cleaver upwards vertically, trying to cut Kakashi in half. Kakashi was sliced in two, but once again the copy nin escaped death, being replaced by a splintered log.

Zabuza seemed to materialize next to Dai, grabbing him by the neck and pulling him away. Kakashi instantly chased after him, following his screams in the fog.

Naruto heart hammered in his chest, "Sasuke! Snap out of it!" Dai's screams were getting more distant. Sasuke stood frozen once again as Dai's screams faded. _"Damn it!"_

Naruto bit back a curse as another Zabuza appeared behind them. The clone raised its massive blade to separate their heads from their bodies.

"Game over!"

Naruto jumped back and flashed through a string of seals. _'I need to thank Sasuke later for letting me copy this from his clan library.'_ He thought.

"Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!" Naruto overpowered the jutsu and launched a torrent of flames at the nuke-nin.

Said ninja just smirked and let the fireball consume him.

Sasuke seeing his teammate, which he considered inferior, kill the clone, finally broke him out of his trance.

Naruto checked on Tazuna to make sure he was ok. The man was pale and had a few singes but otherwise ok. "Sasuke, we have to find the real Zabuza."

"I know, you don't have to tell me twice!" Sasuke spat at him with slight jealousy, regaining some of his fighting spirit. "But we can't even see him! There's fog everywhere!"

Zabuza's voice rang out, "Two helpless little genin. All alone and ready for the slaughter. Oink Oink little piggies."

Tazuna looked at the two boys defending him. By the gods! They weren't even old enough to drink and they were protecting an old fool like him. He walked forward, pulling his straw hat off his head and yelling valiantly. "Enough! It's me you want! Just kill me and leave them alone."

"That's the spirit!" Zabuza cackled, appearing between Tazuna and the boys. "It's over!"

Naruto took out three shuriken and threw them at the man, forcing him to stop and deflect the sharp metal.

"Now, Sasuke!"

Sasuke charged forward with his own tightly gripped kunai , slamming it in-between Zabuza's ribs. Water splattered everywhere as it disintegrated from the attack.

Slowly the mist lessened enough that the two boys could see Kakashi and Dai laying into Zabuza. The mist ninja seemed hard pressed to dodge Dai's lightning jutsu while still staving off Kakashi's fast paced palm thrusts and kicks.

Sasuke simply watched as Kakashi sent a powerful kick to Zabuza's side as he was distracted, and Dai launched another 'False Darkness', keeping Zabuza from making any progress against the copy nin.

But like all things, something must give.

Zabuza landed a lucky kick and sent Kakashi into the lake near them. "Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu."

Quick as a snake, a globe of water ensnared Kakashi, trapping him inside the water. Said captive shot his team a panicked plea, "Run! He's too strong for you!"

Zabuza just laughed and made a single hand sign, another Zabuza came out of the lake and began stalking towards the four. With a hand sign the real Zabuza replaced himself with the clone and picked up his cleaver.

Dai glanced at Naruto and Sasuke, to which both of them nodded and Kakashi's heart sank. "No! Don't save me! Run!"

"You should listen to him runts. I love my meat fresh."

Naruto pointed a finger at the bandaged man, "Like hell I'll abandon my comrades. Don't you remember sensei? Breaking the rules makes me scum, but abandoning my friends makes me lower than scum!"

Kakashi groaned. He wished he could bang his head with something. He didn't want to sound like a hypocrite by telling his team to abandon him, but he didn't want them to die either.

Naruto smirked as his brows furrowed and Sasuke cracked an arrogant grin.

"Yosh! Let's take this guy down!"

"Do we have a plan?" Dai asked.

Naruto offered a wry smile and made a very familiar handsign, "Shadow Clone jutsu!" Over sixty clones appeared in a cloud of smoke that hid the three Genin from view. They all ran out of the smoke grinning brightly and charged at Zabuza to attack.

Zabuza sneered, "Hah, what's this gaki? A hundred times zero is still zero!"

Like a weed whacker the demon cut down the horde of blonds like grass, but he ignored one critical thing. After each clone dispelled it created a cloud of smoke and an audible pop that blinded the nuke nins sense of smell and sound.

Zabuza choked on the smoke and roared in anger, "Show yourself you little bastard!"

A giant windmill shuriken burst out of the cloud of smoke. Zabuza smirked and casually deflected the oversized weapon with a shriek of metal meeting metal. In a poof of smoke the shuriken unhenged into Naruto.

"Take this!"

Naruto took out another Windmill shuriken and threw it to Sasuke, who grabbed it with excitement. The Uchiha flung it at Zabuza's clone. Since all focus was on Sasuke, no one noticed the second Shuriken underneath the firsts shadow.

Meanwhile Naruto himself charged at the Nukenin, who was being forced to either block the Shuriken, or dodge and let the attack pop the clone holding Kakashi. It wasn't a hard decision.

Zabuza slammed his blade into the ground and hid behind it as the first Shuriken bounced off the blade with a clang, however the second swerved around the blade, and headed straight for the enemy nins head. Zabuza suddenly realized there was a slight shine in the air, signifying that the Windmill Shuriken was being controlled by wires.

Naruto Finally reach the Jounin and threw out a hasty kick at the man's left shin, and managed to land it. The man grunted as the younger boys foot sunk into his side, however the pain quickly disappeared from his face, having been replaced with a savage grin.

"Bad move runt."

Naruto yelped as Zabuza grappled the boy and threw him into the incoming oversized shuriken, causing the boys head to crack open like a melon, or he would have if he didn't vanish in a poof.

Luckily, Naruto had counted on this and unhenged himself behind Zabuza as the latter was still overextended from killing the clone. The first Shuriken laying behind the Nukenin vanished as the henge was dispelled and Naruto came screaming out of it. " Got'cha!"

Now Zabuza was in a bind. He couldn't block the idiot kid from killing his clone while also evading that Uchiha brats wire controled Shuriken. Still, he moved to block both weapons, when a bolt of lightning appeared from behind him and violently bowled him over.

He had forgotten the third brat...

Naruto threw a kunai at the clone, forcing Zabuza to release the jutsu and free their Sensei.

Kakashi fell into the lake and glared at Zabuza, he sent a smile towards his students as he used his Doujutsu to copy Zabuza's hand signs. Soon, two giant water dragons formed behind each of the men and they went head to head while Naruto jogged over to Dai and Sasuke.

"Woah... Kakashi-Sensei is _really_ strong!" Naruto stared in awe as Kakashi matched every single one of Zabuza's attacks without breaking a sweat.

Kakashi's water dragon overpowered the other, and sent a giant wave crashing towards the bandaged menace.

Fortunately, the wave knocked Zabuza out of the battle and sent him into a nearby tree. He looked up at Kakashi, once the wave was gone, with something akin to fear, "Can... can you see the future?"

Kakashi looked down at the swordsman with a stony frown, "Yes... and I foresee... your death!"

Suddenly, two senbon were lodged in the side of Zabuza's neck, Naruto watched this with shock.

Kakashi appeared calm and they all turned to the one who took Zabuza down.

Up above, on a tree branch, a person standing roughly five feet in height stood with an outstretched hand. The figure had long black hair, a slender frame and wore a Kirigakure Anbu mask that hid their identity. It was impossible to tell the persons gender but the ninja wore a brown striped shirt, and over that a green haori with white trimmings - and around his waist a green sash with a fringed trail wrapped around his waist twice. He also wore light-brown platoon sandals with straps in the same color as his kimono and nail polish on his fingernails and toenails in matching blue green color.

Naruto pointed an accusing finger in the boy's direction with an angry, and slightly suspicious, expression, "Who are you?!"

The boy tilted his head and raised his right hand in a peace sign, "I am a hunter nin. I have been hunting this man for quite some time. I must thank you for making my job easier."

Naruto watched as the boy threw one of Zabuza's arms over his shoulder and made a hand sign, "Once again, thank you... goodbye."

Kakashi watched the Anbu leave and once he was certain they were alone, he placed a hand on his headband and lowered it over his eye.

Naruto turned to face Tazuna, who hid behind Sasuke in fear, "What next?"

Kakashi sighed and smiled faintly at his team and his charge, "Alright! Let's head to Tazuna's an-"

Kakashi was cut off when he took one step and collapsed, his team gasped in shock and crouched down to see if he was alright.

Kakashi only chuckled sheepishly and laid on the ground, "Ah...the joys of chakra exhaustion."

* * *

Author Notes: Hey everyone I just wanted to ask what you think so far of the story. Is it enjoyable? Peace out!


	10. Chapter Ten: The Wave Mission Part 3

Fates Web

Chapter Ten: The Wave Mission Part 3

Author Notes: It's great to see so much support for my story. I will probably be updating my gamer fic sometime in the future but I want everyone to know that this story is my priority.

III = Interlude/ character perspective switch.

 **Bold text** = Inner voice/ something important speaking.

There will be no crossovers, or characters from other shows.

* * *

 _'...Who, who could do this?'_

Dilapidated buildings and ruined structures pocketed the land of waves. The people wandered aimlessly around in filthy rags and smelled horribly.

Hinata almost cried when a small boy with sunken eyes peered up at her.

"Food?"

She didn't know if she could bring up the courage to say no. The child's stick like arms and skin that clung to his ribs told her a horrifying tale by itself. Mother had never told her about this. Was this the true depths of human depravity? Sure, she killed people in brutal and terrible ways, but those people deserved it.

 _'He can't be any older than Hanabi...'_

Her mouth formed a fake smile, "I'm sorry child but I don't have anything on me at the moment."

The boy looked down and glumly wandered off. Hinata growled lowly, "Whatever sick bastard did this I hope your god has mercy, because I won't."

* * *

"How far is your home?" spoke Sasuke.

Tazuna pointed to the main road while Naruto made a few clones scout ahead, "My shadow clones will make sure there won't be any surprises waiting for us."

After ten minutes, the group could see a relatively large two story house straddling the edge of the a cliff overlooking the coast.

"Here we are!" Tazuna said happily.

Naruto looked around the verdant meadows and the horizon out onto the ocean. "It's beautiful here." he said, then looked at his best friend. "Wouldn't you agree?"

Dai crossed his arms, "It's legit." Sasuke couldn't help but smirk at their friends' unique 'Kumo lingo'.

Tazuna led them all inside his home and yelled out, "Tsunami? Where are you?" calling for his daughter.

Sasuke with Dai walked inside and sat down in a chair. Naruto created a few clones and ordered them to stand guard outside.

"Dad? Oh god I'm so relieved! Did everything go well?" answered a feminine voice from where Naruto assumed to be the bedroom.

A woman in her mid to late twenties walked down the stairs. She had long black hair and was dressed in a light purple kimono.

Tazuna smiled warmly. "You wouldn't believe what happened. These are the super ninja that I hired! I told them everything, and they are still willing to complete the mission!"

The woman, apparently Tazuna's daughter, smiled at Kakashi and his students and bowed. "I wish to give my greatest gratitude. Without you, I don't know what we would have done."

The one eyed Jounin nodded. "Your father hired us to protect him until he finishes his bridge. We intend to make sure Gato isn't a problem anymore for you, so rest easy."

The woman's cheeks colored. "What a brave man."

Kakashi winked, "It's a pleasure to fight for such a fair lady as yourself."

The man's suave voice sent shivers down the woman's spine. Naruto and his teammates gaped in disbelief as their pervert Sensei wooed the bridge builders daughter with skill only an elite ninja like himself could possess.

Tsunami blushed and fanned her face. "Allow me to get you some drinks. You all must be very thirsty from your journey!" The woman disappeared in a hurry and left a fuming Tazuna glaring holes in their Sensei.

Dai looked at the retreating woman and turned to face Naruto, "Holy shit man. Kakashi-Sensei is a beast!"

Naruto chuckled, "You know Dai, I think you might be right."

"Hn" Sasuke agreed.

Tazuna's face turned purple, and it certainly wasn't the alcohols' doing.

Soon the woman came back with several glasses of water and smiled at the group, "Is there anything I can do for you boys?"

"Do you have any bedrooms we could use?" Naruto asked.

The woman smiled again. "Of course, I'll show you to the guest bedrooms." she walked up the stairs, Naruto and his team following.

She led them down a hallway with nine doors, four on the left and five on the right. "The first three doors on the left are mine, Dad's, and my son, Inari's, rooms. The last door on the left was my former husbands. The two doors on the right are the guest rooms. The doors after that are a study room for my dad and a workshop, and the last one is the bathroom." she turned to the ninja and smiled sweetly. "I'm sorry, I never introduced myself. I am Tsunami, who might you be?"

Kakashi's eye shined in mirth, "My name is Kakashi Hatake, and these three are my students. Please introduce yourselves."

Naruto waved and smiled. "Yosh, my name is Naruto Uzumaki and one day I'm going to be the strongest ninja."

Tsunami smiled and gave the boy a look-over. "I hope you succeed in your dream." she looked to the dark skinned member of the group.

"My name is Dai Yotsuki. I am a immigrant from Kumogakure and my dream is to one day prove that one's skin color doesn't determine their worth."

"That is a noble goal young man."

Everyone turned to the last member of the group. Sasuke leaned against the wall and offered a grunt.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha and my goals are none of your business."

If the rude reply had affected Tsunami she didn't show it. "Well that's ok. Let me show you rowdy guys the guest rooms and let's see if we can make some space for you to sleep."

* * *

(At Zabuza's Hideout)

Zabuza groaned in pain, bleeding in several places, sore all over, suffering from chakra exhaustion, and a nasty case of blunt force trauma. This was one of the worst defeats he had ever experienced.

"How did I get beaten by a bunch of kids! ARGGHH IT'S COMPLETE BULLSHIT!"

The "Hunter nin" that had saved Zabuza sighed heavily. "He's really pissed." a feminine voice said from behind the mask.

"Oh, loooky here. The mighty demon returns defeated" Came a haughty feminine voice from across the room.

"Fuck off Iwa bitch."

Kurotsuchi laughed, "Gato hired us to make sure you deadbeats got the job done. Where's the bridge builder Zabuza? The only bitch I see here is you." She reached for Zabuza only to find the masked kiri nin blocking her way.

"Back off", Haku hissed.

Kurotsuchi shrugged. "Fine, but remember that Gato hired us because _you_ failed."

Haku took off her mask and glared at her. "I would be careful with what you say." she smirked when the Iwa girl stiffened and growled.

"You think you're hot stuff? My strongest teammate could break you and your little swordsman like a toothpick."

Haku's face darkened, "Is that a threat?"

Kurotsuchi shivered as the gentle demeanor of the Kiri girl vanished and a cold sinking pit developed in her gut.

"Enough."

The two girls froze as a heavy pressure forced them to their knees. A figure in a brown cloak and dark armor walked through the door and glared at them.

Kurotsuchi laughed nervously, "Hinata, what a surprise!"

Hinata held up a hand, "Stop."

The brunette closed her mouth. Hinata gazed at her in disappointment, "Enough of your childish games. Act like a ninja of Iwagakure."

"Ye-yes Sir!"

"You are relieved for the night."

Kurotsuchi scrambled out the door like a bat out of hell.

Haku watched the new presumed Iwa nin with caution, "You certainly know how to handle people."

The woman turned to face Haku and smiled, revealing white fangs that could rend flesh, "Sometimes a heavy hand is needed."

Haku nodded. She took a moment to take in this cloaked woman. She looked in her mid teens and had long purple hair that peaked through the shadows of her hood. Her generous bust could be seen through the heavy wool, and it was through her trained eye that she could determine the guarded body language the Iwa girl gave off. The cloaked woman's exotic, almost preternatural lilac and red eyes that captivated everyone that looked into them. She had a voice that lured you into a false sense of safety, but underneath that was something dark, and _hungry_.

Haku tensed and brushed a bang out of her eye. "Why are you here." she demanded.

Hinata laughed, "What's wrong with desiring to know my allies more?"

The girl narrowed her eyes at Hinata and turned to meet her masters own. Zabuza who had until now been silent spoke "Cut the crap and tell us what you really want."

The girl, Hinata, hummed, "I have an offer for you two. Something that might benefit us both. "

Zabuza was silent for a moment, "I'm listening."

* * *

(Next morning, at unknown location)

Naruto woke up with a groan. Feeling wet he rubbed his eyes and felt water surround him. On all sides were concrete walls similar to a dank sewer. For a moment he wondered where he was. Then he saw it.

A large golden gate, easily as tall as a mountain, and each bar as thick as ten men. The gate itself was magnificent, however that wasn't what demanded his attention.

It was the fact the gate was wide _open._

A compulsion to walk towards the gate crawled from deep within his consciousness. A heavy rumble shook the ground as a large form shifted in the darkness beyond.

"Who's there?" Naruto called as he slogged through the ankle deep water, feeling a bone cold chill permeate his being, and not from the water soaking him to the bone.

The shadows moved closer and quickly he felt an epiphany hit him. This was the Kyuubi's cage!

 **"How astute ningen."** Came a deep voice that sent ripples of water throughout the room.

The large form stepped into the light. Naruto felt his mouse become dry as nine crimson tails swayed behind the moving mountain that was the Kyuubi no kitsune.

The titanic being laughed at the small human, **"I can smell your fear ningen."**

"N-no!" Naruto stammered, regretting the way his voice shook.

The fox came up to the boy and peered down at him with a wily grin that promised nothing good. How was this possible?! The fox should be inside it's cage, not roaming around freely in his mind. Plans of escape were created and discarded almost immediately. There was no way he could outrun the giant fox. In other words, he was screwed.

 **"Fear not boy. No harm will come to you today."**

Naruto's brain short-circuited, "Huh?"

The fox laid down and tried to look non-threatening, or as non threatening as a giant natural disaster could.

 **"I know this must be confusing"** , It started, **"I have been watching over you your entire life. I was sealed inside you, but something went wrong with the sealing and the cage was left unlocked."**

Naruto took a moment to process Kyuubi's words before replying, "If that is true then why haven't you freed yourself yet?" He swallowed in fear, hoping the fox wouldn't take this chance to 'take it's revenge'.

The fox snorted in an unsightly manner, **"I'm safer inside you than outside."**

Naruto waited for the fox to explain, but it continued on.

Kyuubi looked down at him with eyes full of pity, **"I have lived every minute of your life like it was my own."**

"Is this the part where you convince me to join the dark side?" He joked.

 **"No."**

Naruto blinked.

 **"The Uzumaki clan were a distant offshoot of the Senju clan. When I was sealed inside you I was forced to restrict my yang chakra from interacting too closely with yours. My yin chakra has already seeped into your chakra coils and mutated your naturally dense reserves."**

 _'What the hell? Uzumaki clan?'_ What was the Kyuubi talking about? He didn't have a clan. Did he?

 **"I can see that question lingering in your eyes."** The fox grinned.

Naruto found it hard to stare into the beasts eyes and bit his lip, "Who are the Uzumaki and what does that have to do with me? And what did you mean about my chakra coils mutating?"

Kyuubi let out a laugh, akin to the sound of razor blades scraping against rock. The beast looked down at him with amusement, **"Everything."**

A pointed claw rushed forward and planted itself on his head, not breaking skin despite the razor sharp quality of the tip. Images of a red headed woman with cold eyes and her hair tied in twin buns filled his head.

 _'If you use your power, only hatred will come from it. Stay tranquil deep inside me.'_

Naruto threw up. The hatred, the resentment, the despair, it was _overwhelming_.

 **"Now you see my pain, Naruto."**

Through blurry vision he looked up at the fox with horror. "You-how did you not go insane!"

 **"I have survived the eons. If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by."** Dark slit eyes looked down upon him, **"To answer your earlier question. The Uzumaki were a clan of fuinjutsu specialists related to the Senju clan. The Senju and Uzumaki clan are born with a large amount of yang chakra, and so I was forced to limit my own yang chakra for fear it could unbalance your own. "**

Naruto swallowed, "And the mutations?"

 **"My Yin chakra has caused your own to become balanced, and for a Uzumaki this is unusual. You may gain a bloodline, or perhaps these abnormalities may never surface."**

The room shook and the fox tilted it's head up, **"It seems our conversation must be cut short."** The Kyuubi looked down at him once again, **"When you wish to meet me again simply think of this place and attempt to meditate."**

Naruto tried to speak but the room faded away and he woke up.

III

Sasuke, Dai, and Kakashi were all discussing what to do about Zabuza. That was the scene Naruto walked into as their loud voices had woke him up.

Sasuke wanted to charge in and take Gato head on, seeing that Zabuza took a lot of damage from Kakashi's water dragon. Dai also told them about his damage towards the man "I attacked his back with a Lightning jutsu and got a nice score on his left flank" answered Dai. Naruto nodded, seeing that it will take a few weeks for Zabuza to heal. Before he spoke Kakashi looked up.

"I've decided on a plan. I will train you three for the next week and have Naruto make Shadow Clones to guard Tazuna during the day. Once a week has passed I will guard Tazuna myself and rotate you three on guard duty.'

Seeing that Kakashi had already made his decision, Naruto breathed through his nose and walked outside. This was going to be one hell of a mission.


End file.
